


Courage of the Spirit

by Velf



Series: Courage Cycle [1]
Category: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi | Spirited Away
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/M, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Magic, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Spirit World, Spirits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-06-17 06:51:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 95,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15455721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velf/pseuds/Velf
Summary: Chihiro is 20 and at university. Her brush with the spirit world still influences her life to today. She is trying hard to fit in with the “real world”, but she is finding this difficult and the cracks are starting to show.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write a story. Or at least try to. This is more difficult for me than most people as I'm dyslexic and have to write all this on paper before I even touch a keyboard! However, being the stubborn sort and reading some fantastic fics I decided to have a stab myself.
> 
> After watching spirited away I began to think about what it would really be like if you tried to live with knowledge like that, especially as Chihiro was only 10 at the time. Could you ever forget? Would you be able to live normally? What would happen if people would not believe you? I thought it would be complicated. So this is a story of Chihiro trying to live with her past (or not as you will see) and how her life has been changed by her trip to another world. It will be a slow start but I really want to work on my characters before I start the plot.

**Living in ignorance**

Chihiro sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. She had had another restless night and struggled out of bed for her 10 o'clock lecture. She glanced at her timetable. Davis; she could not even pronounce the man's name, let alone understand the finer points and themes of his subject European mythology.

It was not as if the subject was not interesting and his Japanese was flawless. Even when he slipped up and cursed in English when the projector broke down, her English was good enough to understand most of what he was saying. Still, there were one or two words she did not know at all. She made the mistake of asking a foreign exchange student (a friend of her friend Linca,) what these particular words meant. The young man was a few years older than her. His name was Scott, which she found funny because he was Scottish. Did his parents not like him or something? He had bright red, short hair and was slim and tall. He had a very pale face with a light dusting of freckles over his nose. He had laughed so much at her that his blue eyes had watered. Instead of answering her he had asked her out for a "coffee" to discuss the mystery that was British curses. She had declined.

She pulled on her jumper and grimaced as it mussed up her hair, she had just platted it. She glanced at the clock. It was ten to ten! She raced from her room. A minute later she came skidding back into it.

"Sorry," she said to the wall behind her bed on which hung a picture of a white dragon. She touched the nose and swept her hand up over the head; as she did every morning and night. She then dashed back out.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Davis's voice droned on and on and on. Chihiro was engaged in what she and Linca called "lecture pose." This was something to adopt when trapped in a really boring lecture. It gave you the ability to nap through it, without being too obvious about it. Before meeting Linca, Chihiro had had to run the risk of discovery and embarrassment as falling asleep leaning on the desk was risky as elbows tended to slide and you ended up smacking the desk with your face.

However, Linca being on the petite side, and a good head shorter than Chihiro, could easily rest her head between Chihiro's neck and shoulder. Chihiro could then rest her chin on Linca's head so it did not slip when she dozed off. From the front, it looked as if they were both sitting up and paying attention. It was perfect, though it did cause some nasty rumours about their relationship with each other. Chihiro used to blush when people told her these things, but Linca brazenly admitted to anything she was accused of.

"It really puts people off if you seem happy to admit it," she had told Chihiro. "And I pick up more men this way! They seem to be very keen if they think you like women more than them."

"Dragons!" called out Davis. Chihiro, startled out of her catnap, actually started paying attention. "The myth of the dragon is, science thinks, probably based on sightings of the Monitor Lizard. These large lizards have a poisonous bite and have been known to attack and eat people." An image of a very ugly looking brute with black teeth and green scales flashed up on the screen. "However, many in mythological circles find this to be merely the scientific community clutching at straws. Where did this amazing concept of a flying lizard come from? It is found in one form or another on nearly every continent and pervades many cultures. Did these cultures develop these myths independently? Or is this phenomenon due to ancient trade? All we can be sure of it that the myth is old. For example, various Japanese spirits could take human or dragon form. European dragons where more lizard-like and are classically fire-breathing and malicious. No human form is associated with them." Chihiro felt her heart pound and the lecture theatre started to tilt. Unwilling to listen further she stood up and ran from the theatre.

Back in her room, Chihiro stared at her picture. She had bought it two years ago. It was painted on silk and had a thin black frame surrounding it. It looked just like him, except the eyes where red instead of the jade green she remembered. The picture was a close up of a dragon's head with a cloudy sky background. Her mother had been worried about her when she had brought it back from the art fair. But her mother always worried about her. Ever since she had told her about…

She reached up and touched the picture sweeping her fingers over the nose and up, feeling the fabric.

"Were you real?" she whispered her voice wobbled. "Did I imagine you?" she had not cried over this in years but two tears ran down her cheeks. She jumped in surprise to feel the wet on her face. Crying was showing emotion, she had learnt to hide her emotions from everyone. If they knew you, they would hurt you.

"You promised me!" she hissed, angry now. "You promised me I'd see you again!" She stumbled a few steps back. "It's been ten years and not even a postcard!" She was feeling foolish but still raw. "You never existed it was all in my head," she closed her eyes muttering. "It was all in my head, they told me it was all in my head." She repeated this to herself over and over again. She opened her eyes and smiled, she was alright, the weakness had passed. But that night the dreams came again, dreams of a place, time and people that seemed very far away now.

She woke with a start. All of a sudden the loneliness and the dark seemed to push down on her. She hugged her knees and wept, wept like she had not let herself for a long time. Her 13-year-old self had made a decision, a decision that had cost her dear, but had allowed her to lead a relatively normal life on the surface. She had denied the truth and now stupid Davis had dragged it all up again. It had never been that firmly buried in the first place. She let her mind tentatively focus on the memories now.


	2. The price of memories

After moving into the new house, Chihiro had been quiet and reserved, very unlike her normal self. Her mother grew more and more worried, and aftertwo weeks she sat Chihiro down for a talk.

"Whatever has happened you can tell me," She had pleaded. "Something is really bothering you; your father and I can't help you if you don't tell us."

"You wouldn't believe me," she had muttered.

"Of course I will! You don't lie Chihiro, you never have." Chihiro remembered her chin wobbling.

"It's just that I miss them so much."

"Who?" Asked her mother, "your old friends?"

"No my new ones, Kamajii, Rin, Haku, No-face and Granny Zeniba."

"Chihiro," said her mother gently. "Who are these people? What are you talking about?" Chihiro then told her the whole story. The next day a doctor came to the house and demanded that she told the truth. Chihiro remembered being so frightened that she gave even more detail to the doctor than she had to her mother.

Over the next few days, her parents kept asking her to tell the truth, but she was telling it. They had been pigs, and she had spent three days in the spirit world, and she had saved them. How did they explain the car? A practical joke they said. But why do that? Why not let down the tires or scratch the paint? Neither could answer to her satisfaction. How come the movers had finished and gone when they arrived back at the new house? Her father mumbled something about an efficient service but seemed to be thinking hard. It made no difference, for the next four years she was in therapy.

She had her first therapist for a year. He was not very good, but he was a kind man with white hair and a moustache. He would just let her talk. He never wrote anything down or made any assessments or recommendations; he just seemed to enjoy the story. She had liked him; he never said she was lying.

Exasperated by her lack of progress, her parents had taken her to another therapist in the city. A woman, she had had black hair, sharp face and the leathery skin of someone who had had too much sun. Goodness knows what she had charged. Chihiro had not liked the woman therapist; she could not even remember her name now. She had written a lot and questioned every sentence of her story.

Chihiro had come out of those sessions in a cold sweat. This went on for some time. She stopped talking about anything except school to her parents. They saw this as an improvement, and not for what it was, a loss of trust. She had problems at school too. Her grades were well above average, but somehow her classmates found out she was in therapy. No one knew what for, but after that, her presence was barely tolerated. She was not bullied as such, just ignored.

Every 6 months Chihiro's parents were called to the therapist's office after her session. At the age of 13, she was starting to get very angry with everyone for thinking she was mad. So one day with her parents waiting outside, she snapped.

"Chihiro," said the therapist for the hundredth time. "Surely you know how this sounds, isn't it time you grew up and stopped playing these games? Your parents are worried sick." It was all she could stand. She had got up and stormed out of the office. The therapist ran after her, catching hold of her arm.

"Let go of me!" she yelled and pulled her arm away. Her parents were behind her, but what did she care about them now? "No!" She shouted in the therapists face. "NO, NO, NO!" She shrieked at the top of her voice. "You're wrong, you're all wrong! I saw these things happen! I met these people they are real!"

"But Chihiro…" Said her Mother.

"No!" Chihiro yelled cutting her off, "I'm not listening to any of you any more! I know what happened I was there! I touched it, I smelt it, it was not a dream or something I made up, why don't any of you believe me?" Her lip trembled, angry with herself for getting upset she shouted. "I don't want to be here anymore! I want to go home, and home is not in this world anymore!  **I hate you all!** "

Her Mother had started crying and her Farther had just looked at her blankly, shocked to the core.

"I want to go home!" she screamed, her lungs burning with effort. "Back to my friends, back…back where things make sense and I don't feel like a freak." She had sunk down into one of the waiting room chairs exhausted, all her energy spent. Tears splattered and hissed down her cheeks. "Haku please come and get me," she had whispered. "Please, I want to come home now."

Seeing her calm again the therapist called her parents into her office and closed the door. Chihiro was finished with playing by the rules. She had tiptoed up to the door and put her ear to it.

"What is wrong with my daughter?" wailed her mother "why is she like this?"

"She is getting worse isn't she?" said her Father in a dead voice.

"Yes and no," said the therapist. "It is clear that the delusion is deep-seated, and Chihiro believes it all. However, the very fact she has just attacked us all is a good sign."

"How?" croaked her Mother. "How can her hating us be good?"

"Our constant stand on not accepting this delusion is having an effect; we have placed doubt in her mind. That outburst was her trying to convince herself that this doubt is wrong. She is trying to re-affirm the delusion."

"So what do we do now?" asked her Father.

"I'd like to start her on some medication…" Chihiro jumped away from the door. Drugs? They thought she needed drugs? She was shaken and scared. Two days later, when the prescription was picked up and her Mother watched her take the two yellow pills. She made a decision.

"No more," she had whispered to herself in the dark that night. "They are wrong it, did happen but I have to live in this world so I have to try and forget. Haku said I'd see him again, but I think he only said that to make me leave. He probably thought it was the best thing for me." She began to cry again "But it wasn't, I hate it here, it's like I've left part of me behind. But I have to stop this." Then she said what she came to know as the magic words.

"It never existed it was all in my head."

"It never existed it was all in my head."

"It never existed it was all in my head."

"It never existed it was all in my head."


	3. Trying to Live

She repeated the words to herself over and over again. At first, she felt like she was cutting her heart out with a blunt object every time she did. As the days went by, the pain numbed and soon she was repeating the words automatically as soon as any thought of the spirit world popped into her head. The dreams never went away, even though she told everyone they had. She also became an expert at tonguing her meds. The most effective method was to let the pills melt in her cheeks and then spit them into a glass of juice or a cup of tea (it could be noticed in water.) Soon she was taking none of the pills, even though everyone remarked on the good they were doing her. Six months later her Father declared it was the best thing they had ever done, and they should have started her on them years ago. It hurt when they said things like that.

Looking back now Chihiro realised that part of the girl she had died that day in the therapist's office. Not taking her medication had been the only act of defiance she had left. So she had become a brilliant actress, happy and cheerful on the outside, screaming on the inside. The years went by; she stopped therapy at 14 and threw herself into her schoolwork. At 19 she was offered a university place. By this point, the screaming had stopped, and inside was such a gaping hole that she was afraid to look into it. Sometimes the emptiness ached so much the pain was physical and she would put her hand to her chest as if she could not breathe.

She had been offered a science place, but soon changed it to…

"World mythology?" Her Mother had cried down the phone. "What sort of degree is that?" Maybe it was another act of defiance; but last year she had changed her subject, only telling her parents after she had done it.

"It's what I want to do," she kept repeating that sentence to her parents almost as much as she said the magic words to herself. Finally, they got the message and things had been fine, just fine, until she had thought of him again.

Now in bed at four in the morning, she whispered

"I miss you, even now I want to go home." That night she did not dream.

* * *

Linca caught up with her at lunchtime.

"So Davis finally drove you to…" She looked at Chihiro's tray, "chocolate pudding? A novel addiction." Chihiro laughed. Linca was Russian and was studying engineering. She was short and stocky with wide blue eyes, blond hair and she always smiling. She had introduced Chihiro to vodka, something she was eternally grateful for. Linca eased herself back on her chair.

"I should have got more sleep last night," she yawned. "Do you mind if I come to another one of your lectures? I could use the rest, I find your subject so relaxing!" She and Chihiro grinned impishly.

"As I do yours," Chihiro smiled back at her. "That lecture last week on graphic calculus was the perfect lullaby." The girls giggled together.

"Well I say; you are in a good mood. There must be a man involved. Let me guess." She tapped her finger to her lips as if thinking, "It's that Scottish guy, the one with the luminous orange hair; yes he's your type. Do you know Scottish men wear kilts on special occasions? I tell you men in skirts are cute."

"Yuck", Chihiro shook her head at the thought.

"Seriously I've seen them on TV, they look so macho and you can see the dimples in their knees." Linca giggled again, Chihiro kicked her in the shin as a warning that the object of the conversation approached. "Oww!" Linca wailed dramatically and then swore. An evil grin crept across her pretty face as, she rubbed her leg.

"Scott!" she called out in English, "won't you join us?"

"Now you're just showing off," muttered Chihiro.

"I'm on a mission dear," she declared. "You need a man, and I'm about to provide a harmless one for you to cut your teeth on."

"Linca!" Chihiro hissed, but then shut up as Scott sat beside her.

"Hello you two," he said smiling disarmingly. "I hope I'm not disturbing you, it seemed as if you were having an interesting conversation."

"No, No," Said Linca. "We were just comparing notes on our most boring subjects."

They chatted happily together, and Chihiro added a few sentences here and there. It was all nice and friendly until…

"The ball? Oh yes! Of course, I'll be going." exclaimed Linca "The overseas students union ball is the best of the year, everyone wants an invite."

"Will you be going Chihiro?" asked Scott, his blue eyes intense.

"Oh no, I'm strictly local; no invite for me." She saw Linca smile a smug smile of victory.

"Well in that case," said Scott carefully. "I'm going alone at the moment; you could come as my partner." Chihiro could not help blushing.

"I really don't think so… I have so much work to do at the moment."

"Oh come on Chi," whined Linca, the girl fully realised that by shortening Chihiro's name she was actually calling her "Blood." But it was a habit she could not seem to get out of and Chihiro did not seem to mind. "It will be fun," Linca continued. "Besides, you never go out. Scott's being a perfect gentleman and aiding a damsel in distress, now say yes and have some enjoyment in your life for once."

"I..." Chihiro stammered again, she hated being put on the spot like this. She had to get back in control. She looked at Scott, his big blue eyes were eager and his pale lightly freckled face looked so open and honest.

"I would love to go," she said quietly. "I'd be honoured, thank you."

"Honoured?" Said Scott. "Well, I don't know about that. You have not seen me dance yet."

They continued to chat together until Scott looked at his watch.

"Oh, hell! I must be off, tutorial in ten minutes," he turned to Chihiro. "So I'll pick you up at around 8 on Saturday?"

"Sure," she said with a forced smile. Scott left the table and walked away. "Linca you nasty little sneak!" Chihiro hissed.

"Well if nothing else we can get you out of those jeans and into a dress for once. It's so nice when men forget how to talk and get all shy when they look at you all cleaned up." Chihiro stood.

"Do me a favour Linca, don't help me." She made to walk away, but Linca caught her hand.

"O God Chi I'm sorry! I thought you'd be pleased. A night out with a nice guy, what's wrong with that?" Chihiro bit her lip.

"It's just that I don't date," she mumbled.

"I know that," laughed Linca. "But you're a little shy that's all." Chihiro shook her head, brown eyes serious.

"No, I don't date ever," Linca's eyes widened.

"You mean you've never been on a date, ever?" Chihiro nodded.

"Why? I mean look at you, you're gorgeous, it's not as if you've never had offers I'm sure." Chihiro sat again.

"It's just that…well its complicated…err."

"Go on," said Linca encouragingly.

"I had a few problems in my teens," Chihiro sighed. "A lot of problems… everyone in my town knew, so offers never came my way until I was seventeen…" She was struggling. Why was this so hard to admit to? It was just Linca. "Anyway by that point things where just starting to go right in my life, I saw no point complicating it with a boyfriend and I guess I've got used to my own company."

 _"And you are still holding out hope that a certain dragon will take you from here and rescue you from your loneliness…"_  She forced that nasty little voice in her head down, it always popped up when she was feeling vulnerable. She mumbled the magic words under her breath.

"What?" asked Linca.

"Nothing, I know this all probably makes no sense to you."

"No," said Linca seriously, her blue eyes full of concern. "It makes perfect sense, you're afraid you've been afraid for a long time. So long in fact you've opted out of life to protect yourself." Chihiro had never heard a more accurate estimation of how she felt. She gave a little sob.

"Oh Chi no," whispered Linca and took hold of her friends hands across the table. "It's okay, but I think its time you started being an active member of the human race again. I think you've wanted to do that for a long time." Chihiro nodded it was true. "Well then your education starts here," declared Linca. "We shall go to town Saturday morning and get every conceivable beauty therapy practiced on us. Then we shall choose a gorgeous dress to show off that wonderful figure. Then we will come back and get ready. Then we shall go to the ball Cinderella, with a true prince charming, and have a wonderful time."

"What if it all goes wrong," muttered Chihiro. "What if I have a terrible time?"

"In that case, you dump flaming locks and I'll dump Hans of Fritz or whatever that Germans guys name is. We shall go home, listen to bad love songs, and drink Vodka until we collapse."

"Sounds like a plan," smiled Chihiro weakly. Linca got up.

"It's all set then." She laughed and then the smile faded. "Chihiro, I hope you don't mind me telling you this but… My Granny used to say something to me when I was younger and a bit of a day dreamer.  _"The price of dreaming is life."_  I guess what I'm trying to say is that… I think you've been so wrapped up in your own little world you've forgotten about the real one. Dreams have a tendency to shatter Chihiro, if you don't act now what will you be left with?"

"Thank you Linca," whispered Chihiro. Linca smiled, "what are friends for?" she said and she left Chihiro with much to think on.


	4. Possibilities

Chihiro was exhausted and distressed. Things, as usual, were not going according to plan. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about the last few hours.

"It's not my fault", she thought. "I'm a freak and that's an end to it." She looked up at the picture above her bed.

"This is all  **your**  fault" she sneered at it.

" _It wasn't his fault,"_ said the nasty little voice in her head _. "It was not his fault you accidentally stumbled into his world and he had to help you out. Your problem is that you fell in love with his world, and now nothing goes right because you don't want to be here."_

"Shut up!" she yelled and then realised she was just yelling at herself.

_"Another problem,"_  continued the voice.  _"Is that you don't like who you've become, what happened to the little girl who stood up to Yubaba and survived?"_

"She died," whispered Chihiro.

_"Maybe,"_  the voice continued gently. " _It's time to resurrect her and deal with the consequences, you're not happy that's why you acted the way you did tonight."_  Chihiro shuddered, he had been so angry.

The day had started wonderfully, massages and relaxing mud baths. She had had her hair done into ringlets; her skin had been pampered and polished until it gleamed in appreciation. Chihiro had enjoyed herself, Linca and she had chatted through the whole day.

"This is the life, we should do this more often." Linca leaned back in the hot tub.

"We are also spending an obscene amount of money," pointed out Chihiro.

"Rubbish," sighed Linca. "Its all for a good cause."

"Attracting men," laughed Chihiro.

"Exactly," Linca stretched. "You're a fast learner. Now," she sat up. "I think we should go for the colonic irrigation next."

"Sure," Chihiro shrugged. There was a long silence, and then the girls burst out laughing.

Earlier that Day she had bought her dress. The dress Linca and herself had picked out was black satin with white satin straps; it hugged her figure and made her feel a bit uncomfortable, but she took it because Linca pointed out.

"It is below the knees, and is high cut at the bust, it shows nothing except your figure." She had reached up to take her hair down, but Chihiro had pulled away.

"What?" asked Linca. "I was just going to take your hair down."

"I'll do it," said Chihiro removing the purple band in her hair and placing it around her wrist. She hated anyone touching it. Over the years it had never worn and looked just like it did when she got it. She hardly ever took it off. Her hair came down and she looked at herself in the mirror. She could hardly believe it was her.

"You see?" said Linca, "wasn't I right?"

"Yes," was all she said. Linca lent forward and kissed her on the cheek.

"Welcome back" she whispered.

Scott had picked her up at eight on the dot.

"Wow!" he said when he saw her.

"Ditto I think," she said looking at him. He was in full highland dress complete with those knives, (Durks) and a sporran on the front of his Kilt that was finished with Hammered silver, as was his belt buckle. He did look very handsome, and yes she blushed when she looked at the dimples in his knees.

_"Curse you Linca"_  She mumbled.

So she, Linca, Scott and Hans or Fritz, Lincas latest conquest; all packed into a taxi and went to the overseas student's hall. Scott helped Chihiro out of the car and took her arm. The union building was a concrete structure but inside it was styled as a European Opera house with fake plaster balconies and a chandelier.

"What do you think?" asked Scott.

"It's wonderful," she breathed. He took her hand.

"Come on let's get a drink," The punch was supposed to be alcohol-free but during the night Chihiro witnessed three bottles of whisky, two of sake and one bottle of Lincas best Vodka being tipped into it. By the time she had her second glass of it she could feel the heat creeping into her face. When the dancing started Chihiro was horrified. It was a waltz, a waltz! Who did that any more? Scott placed a hand on her back to guide her to the dance floor.

"Come on," he said, she resisted.

"I don't know how," she mumbled, he laughed kindly.

"I'll show you as best I can," he replied. So they stood together on the floor. Scott took her hand in his and put his other hand on her back and pulled her closer. "Now the trick is not to look at your feet, listen to the beat and follow my lead. Okay, 1…2…3, 1…2…3." Soon, under his guidance, she was whirling around the room.

After the third glass of punch, Chihiro knew she was getting drunk. Scott had drunk more than her, but seemed to be unaffected. Well, he was Scottish, they always drank lots of whisky there and ate all the bad bits of the cow, and fried things, well nearly everything, and just what was a haggis? Despite what Scott said about being a less than expert dancer, he was very good. He guided Chihiro around the floor to all the old-fashioned dances. He was the perfect gentleman, polite, kind and very attentive. However, even as the alcohol warmed her, she could not completely let go.

Linca cornered her in the toilets.

"Well girl looks like your not going to get much sleep tonight!" she exclaimed happily.

"What are you on about?" asked Chihiro.

"I saw the way he was looking at you, the man is smitten and planning the wedding in a Scottish castle and naming your 6 sons." Chihiro just gaped at her.

"No," she finally said, "he's just a nice guy."

"That man wants you, its plain for all to see," stated Linca. "The only thing you have to decide is how long to keep him waiting." Linca left the bathroom without another word. Chihiro bit her lip. What did Linca expect of her? She could tell that her friend was only looking out for her, and trying to get her involved with her group. But Chihiro had never wanted that sort of thing. Was she seeing this man because Linca wanted her to, or because she wanted to?

_"You know the answer to that,"_ cackled the annoying voice. The hair band, which was still on her wrist started to feel hot.

Scott took Chihiro back to the dorms, and walked her to her room. All the girls who were still up stared at the handsome, strangely dressed man. She stopped in the corridor at her door and smiled at him.

"Thank you, Scott, I had a good time." He smiled too.

"So did I, let's do something together again some time…are you free tomorrow?" Chihiro genuinely did laugh at this, and looked up into his big blue eyes and knew she had made a mistake in doing so. It was the way he was looking at her, his eyes were soft, almost dreamy, but in their depths, she saw what Linca was talking about. Want. Without a word, he lent forward and placed a hand on her back and drew her to him. She felt his warm breath on her face, it smelt of punch and something else but it was pleasant. His lips touched hers, gently at first as if testing her reaction and then kissed her more deeply pulling her tight against him. All of a sudden she jerked in his arms, the band on her wrist burned. The next thing she knew Scott was lying up against the wall panting. She blinked as her mind caught up with it all, she had pushed him. It was not something she had even contemplated doing, she had been too shocked by his kiss to think of anything. Yet she had almost convulsed in his arms and pushed him in the stomach. Scott groaned, his hand to his stomach; his head had smacked the wall as well. She went to him.

"Scott I'm so sorry!" She tried to pull him up, but he yanked his arm away from her.

"What the hell did you do that for?" His blue eyes were icy and angry, he stood.

"I don't know," she mumbled, "it just happened I'm so sorry…"

"Yes well so am I! You know, people warned me about you they said…" Chihiro's mouth dropped open, suddenly she was furious.

"What people?" she snapped. "If you had any doubts about me why did you ask me out? I'm sorry I pushed you, I don't even know why I did, but if you think I'm mad maybe it's better for you not to see me again. I would not want to sully your reputation!" She walked to her door.

"Wait!" he gasped. "Please!" She stopped and turned around.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault, I gave you no warning that I was going to kiss you. I was too bold and things are different here… I guess you work out because you punch like you know how."

"Punch?" she whispered.

"Yes," he said. "You punched me in the stomach."

"I…I don't remember." She had punched him? She looked at her right hand; the knuckles were skinned and bleeding where she had hit his belt buckle.

"Chihiro are you Ok?" He was concerned now,

"I think I drank too much," she mumbled. "I better go."

"Chihiro," he called as she opened her door. "I kissed you because I like you, I like you a lot. I hope we can start again."

"Goodnight Scott," she whispered and went into her room closing the door on him and his confused face.

She ripped her dress off and chucked it at the picture.

"I hate you!" she screamed. "You're ruining my life!" She then flung herself on the bed, weeping bitterly.

* * *


	5. Truth and Lies

She was dreaming again, she knew she was. It was always as if she was watching from a distance. Zeniba seated at her kitchen table.

"Well that was close, I'm exhausted." No-face drifted over and placed a cup of tea before her.

"Thank you," she said. "It's a good thing she kept that band with her; I did tell her it would protect her, just not from what." She shook her head." Actually, my friend, I feel slightly guilty, but things must be kept on track." She took a mouth full of tea, pulled a face and added more honey. "I'm also surprised I've not had to step in before. The girl must have cut herself to pieces I'm sure." she sighed and No-face nodded. "He dreams of her you know, he told me last year. He said he saw her crying in the dark. He may not show it, but it disturbs him greatly. He'd give anything to bring her back. But I told him even if he could find her, then what? She has no safety here. I was afraid he'd do something rash, but now I think I may have gone too far." No-face offered her a biscuit and the fire crackled. "Still we must stick to the plan, as soon as I saw her I knew she was the one. I hate manipulating people but this is for everyone. If we don't use her then we will not be prepared for what is to come. It will certainly happen; she will just speed up the process."

The dream faded but Chihiro slept on.

She crawled out of her bed a few hours later. She was tired before the day had even begun. Also, as she stumbled about the room it hit her, HANGOVER! For the rest of the day she wished someone would press the mute button on the world and drain the colour away.

* * *

Linca met her at lunchtime.

"So you screwed up," she shrugged. "Playing hard to get adds mystery and no one gets dating right the first few times. We all make fools of ourselves."

"I'm not playing some game here Linca! I respect Scott too much for that." Chihiro was annoyed and embarrassed.

"So why did you punch him?"

"Don't know," Linca frowned. "I really don't!" Chihiro protested. "I don't even remember doing it."

"Well I'm afraid you're a hopeless cause," Linca smiled. "There is nothing I like better than a hopeless cause." She patted her hands. "Don't worry, Scott doesn't blame you."

"How do you know?" Chihiro muttered.

"Because he told me this morning."

"What!" exclaimed Chihiro.

"Yes, he told me all about it, said he thought he had scared you off, I told him nonsense."

"Linca!" Chihiro almost shouted

"Well, what was I supposed to do? You can't avoid seeing him he's a friend of mine."

It was then that Chihiro saw him; he came over to the table smiling. The blood drained from her face and she clutched her hands under the table, digging her nails into her palms.

"Scott," said Linca. "Sit down, now if you too don't mind nature calls." Linca got up and left.

 _"Traitor!"_  Thought Chihiro, there was a long awkward silence then finally Scott extended his hand.

"Truce?" he asked hopefully, she smiled and unclenching her hands took his. "Well then, why don't you tell me what's going on. I'm not blind, there's something up."

_Oh boy, how to start!_

"I just…I…," she sighed. "I'm a freak," Scott just looked at her.

"I don't date, never have, I had some problems… I kind of removed myself from the market."

"Okay," Said Scott.

"I know it makes no sense, but that's just the way it is. Linca persuaded me to go out with you. I shouldn't have, I don't like you that way."

"There is no way you would… kind of… change your mind, is there? I can wait; give you all the time you need."

 _"I'm such a horrible person,"_  she thought and took a deep breath.

"No, that would not be fair." Chihiro shook her head, "I think we should just stay friends." Scott nodded.

"If that's what you want," he smiled. "Well my friend I must go, it's mid-term soon. I suppose you would not like to spend the week with me in Tokyo?"

_When would he give up?_

"Actually I'm going to Kyoto with Linca; we are going to spend a week there."

"Oh…oh, well have a nice time," He stood. "Maybe you could do a bit of thinking and re-consider how you feel." He walked away; Chihiro hid her face in her hands.

"Chihiro?" It was Linca's voice.

"Yes," she mumbled behind her hands.

"I take it you did not patch things up with Scott?"

"No," Linca swore. Chihiro peeked between her figures. "That offer of vodka still stands right?" Linca smiled

"I thought you would never ask."

* * *

Chihiro picked up the vodka bottle, it was empty.

"We… are… defiantly going to regret this." She hiccupped and smiled; Linca was sprawled on the floor.

"Come on Chi, when was the last time you really let everything slide."

"Can't remember!" apparently this was the funniest thing ever said and the girls laughed for much longer than the statement deserved.

"Well, when was the last time you acted re…re…responsibly?" Chihiro's tongue felt a bit like lead.

"Can't remember!" This was even funnier. After the giggles had subsided Linca stared up at the picture.

"I love that picture," she said. "Where did you get it?"

"An art fair back home," mumbled Chihiro.

"It's beautiful, why did you buy it?"

"It…it reminded me of a story I once heard." It was not the vodka that made Chihiro stammer.

"Tell me," asked Linca.

"Tell you what?" evaded Chihiro.

"The story silly, tell me the story," Chihiro sighed.

"Once there was this girl, let's call her Linca," Linca laughed. "And she really did not want to move house."

She continued the story in between another bottle of vodka. Linca listened with rapt attention, as the sun rose Chihiro finished.

"Will we see each other again?"

"I'm sure we will," said Haku.

"Promise?"

"I promise, now go, and don't look back."

"Then Linca let go of his hand and stepped into the human world." There was a long silence.

"That's it?" asked Linca.

"That's it," replied Chihiro.

"That can't be it, it needs an ending, a conclusion, a finish, a happily ever after."

"Not all stories end that way," Whispered Chihiro.

"Maybe little Linca went back?"

"No," said Chihiro quietly, "she didn't."

"Well that's not fair!" cried Linca.

"No, it wasn't." Linca sat up looking at Chihiro intently.

"Well we need to write a new chapter," Chihiro laughed at the notion, Linca was silly sometimes. "Prince charming must find his princess!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Chihiro.

"Love, Haku obviously loved Linca, and Linca loved him."

"Rubbish," said Chihiro. "Linca was ten."

"It does not matter," said Linca. "Love happens at any age to anyone you can't fight it!"

"At ten?" Chihiro chuckled.

"Not the Love you would think of now, but an innocent and pure thing, a connection that would grow with maturity."

"How much have we drunk again?" slurred Chihiro.

"Just because I like men does not mean I'm not romantic!" Protested Linca.

"Well romantic or not, I need to go to bed," Chihiro stood and wobbled.

"Me too, mind if I share your bed?" Asked Linca. "I don't think I'll be able to walk to my dorm."

"Sure, just don't snore."

"Me?" protested Linca "Never!"

The girls settled down for the night.

"Chi?" whispered Linca.

"Yes?" replied Chihiro.

"That story... the way you tell it... it's not just a story to you is it?"

"No," Chihiro whispered. She did not want to lie to Linca but feared to tell her the truth.

"Oh," was all Linca said and turned over to sleep.

Chihiro was awake for some time after. She listened to Linca sleep and cried a few silent tears.


	6. Family affairs

The rest of the week passed quietly,Chihiro attended lectures, finished essays and generally got on with things. She was looking forward to her time away with Linca. Linca herself was in "plan" mode everything was listed and itemised even the average amount of petrol they would use. Glancing at a map Linca announced.

"Hey we are going to pass within 10 Km of your home."

"Oh yes?" said Chihiro dreading where this was going.

"Why don't we drop by for an hour or two and surprise them?"

"I don't think so Linca," Chihiro frowned.

"Why not?" the blond asked.

"Err…we don't see eye to eye." She mumbled.

"So who does with their parents? Come on, you have not seen them since you changed subject. They are bound to be worried."

"They always worry," Chihiro said.

"Well this is a chance to set their minds at rest isn't it? Maybe your mind too." Linca put her head on one side.

"Maybe your right," Chihiro nodded. "In fact I'm sure you are and if they get on my case I can show you the sites of my home town for an hour or so, just until they simmer down." She creased her brow, "it may not be much fun for you though." Linca waved her hand.

"Nonsense, anyone who had you can't be all bad." Chihiro laughed.

"You're just making sure I don't change my mind. What are you my conscience or something? First you try to help me get a life and now you want me to make up with my parents. Are you my guardian spirit?" Chihiro laughed but Linca just gave a tight smile. She then shook herself and said.

"Well I will see you at 9am sharp tomorrow. Don't be late; I want you packed and ready. Its going to take us long enough to get to your parents, let alone Kyoto." Chihiro nodded.

"I'll be ready," Chihiro made to leave. "Linca are you okay? You seem a little distant."

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, now go." Linca waved her hand in dismissal. Chihiro went back to her dorm.

* * *

Chihiro was feeling a little car sick. The radio was blaring and the day was hot and humid. Linca glanced at her for a moment, then concentrated on her driving again.

 

"You look a little green around the gills," she smirked.

"I don't like long car journeys," Chihiro grimaced. "I prefer to fly."

 _"And not in a plane!"_  Said the voice, she ignored it.

"Then why did you agree to come with me?" asked Linca.

"Because my only other option was Tokyo with Scott."

"Ah," said Linca. "You know you could have gone with him. I wouldn't have minded."

"No, I couldn't," Replied Chihiro firmly. "It would have given him the wrong idea and as I said I don't play games."

"You are a very honest person I'll give you that," said Linca.

"Honest but hopeless," Chihiro replied.

Linca laughed

"No, you are just you; and you should not apologise for that."

"Well that's a change in your attitude," said Chihiro.

"Not really, I always liked you for who you are. I just thought you needed help because you seemed unhappy, for a while it seemed to work." She squinted at the road signs. "Now which road do I take?"

"First left, then second right, big blue house on the end."

Ten minutes later they had arrived. They got out of the car but did not move away from it.

"Mums done more work on the garden," Chihiro said.

"It's lovely," replied Linca, still neither of them moved.

"Well we had better go in," mumbled Chihiro.

"Yes," said Linca. Still they did not move. Finally Linca said, "look Chi we don't have to…"

"Chihiro!" Called a woman's voice. Chihiro looked up to the house to see her mother. Yuuko was in her 40's slim and quite pretty. She still wore her hair short, but her face had thinned a bit with age. She ran down the house steps and hugged her daughter. "Oh it's so nice to see you!" then she pulled away and frowned. "Shouldn't you be at university?"

"Its mid semester Mum I have a week off." Yuuko's face brightened.

"Well this is a nice surprise; your Father is away for a few days. It will be nice to have some company until he gets back."

"We are only staying a few hours Mum," said Chihiro. "Linca and I are driving to Kyoto."

"Oh," said her mother, she looked disappointed. Chihiro felt her stomach twist with guilt. Then, as if noticing the short blond standing next to Chihiro for the first time, Yuuko frowned. Chihiro remembered her manners.

"Mum this is Linca, she is on an engineering course at my university, she's from Russia.

Yuuko smiled and bowed

"HELLO" she almost shouted "IT…IS…AN…HOUNOUR…TO…HAVE…YOU…VISIT…US."

"Mum," Chihiro hissed. "Linca speaks fluent Japanese."

"Oh," said her mother. "Well all the better, I hope I have not offended you Linca." Linca shook her head.

"Not at all, In fact I was admiring your garden…" Linca trailed off not knowing how to address Chihiro's mother.

"Yuuko please Linca, we are all adults here, no need for formality."

"Yuuko then," smiled Linca. "It must be very acidic in this area, how do you cope with that?"

"Well," said Yuuko turning to the house and gesturing for Linca to follow. "It's all to do with the planting, why fight what is there by adding lime when there are many plants that love this soil type."

Chihiro listened to her mother chatter on and smiled. Trust Linca to choose her Mothers favourite topic of conversation. As she walked towards the house she looked down the valley and into the small woodland at the bottom. She remembered walking that track every day for a month after she had come home. She had never found the entrance to the spirit world; the track had just ended in thick undergrowth. Immediately the magic words popped into her head. She mumbled them under her breath and went into the house.

Yuuko made tea for the girls, but also raided the pantry for all the goodies she could find. The conversation was a bit strained, it was as if her mother was terrified of saying anything that may offend her. This made Chihiro feel even moreuncomfortable and guilty. Sure she and her parents had had there problems, but she still loved them both. They where only doing what they thought was right.

Linca was an angel, charming and engaging. She really saved all those awkward moments until…

"How is your degree going dear? What was it you changed it to again?"

"World mythology Mum, you know that."

"And what skills will this course give you? What will you be at the end of it?" Asked Yuuko gently.

"I don't know," shrugged Chihiro.

"You have no ideas?"

"None at the moment." That was a lie, Chihiro had thought about going into teaching but she wanted to see where her mother was going with this. Yuuko put down her cup.

"My dear, changing your degree, it had nothing to do with your past problems did it?" Chihiro went cold.

"I don't think so," she said carefully, Yuuko sighed.

"Your Father and I were worried you know…"

"You worry too much," interrupted her daughter. "I'm fine."

"Yes but I thought maybe you were doing it to punish us in some way."

"Mum!" protested Chihiro flushing red with embarrassment. What would Linca be thinking?"

"Well what else would it be?" her Mother almost wailed. "Why would you deliberately change to a course that is beneath you abilities? That ruins you future job prospects? Are you still blaming us for something?" Chihiro was speechless but then the nasty little voice said.

 _"Are you sure she is being unreasonable in her assessment? Why did you change? Did you even think about it?"_  This voice wasreally startingto bug her, but Chihiro had to admit she had not thought about it. Thinking too deeply would mean remembering too much. It had just seemed like a good idea at the time.

"I enjoy it Mum." Was all she managed. Linca took that moment to say

"Times getting on," she turned to Chihiro. "And you wanted to show me that trail in the woods remember?" Chihiro played along thanking every ancestor and spirit she could think of for Linca being there.

"Yes I did," she started to get up.

"You'll come back before you leave?" her mother said all in a rush.

"Of course," muttered Chihiro, her mother came up to her and kissed her on the forehead.

"Okay," she said. "I'll put together a few things for your trip."

"Thanks Mum," Chihiro smiled weakly.

"Lovely to meet you Linca," Yuuko bowed.

"Lovely to meet you to Yuuko," said Linca returning the bow. Chihiro and Linca left. In the garden Chihiro sighed.

"I'm sorry Linca, she worries." Linca gave a sad smile.

"Its okay Chi, think of it this way, it would be different if they did not care." Chihiro nodded and then realised they were nearly at the end of the street.

"Oh," she exclaimed. "where are we going?"

"To the wood at the bottom of the hill," explained Linca.

"I thought that was just a cover story," Chihiro was a little confused.

"It was, but your mother is watching us from the house."

"Ah," said Chihiro "I suppose that figures."

"Oh come on Chi it won't be that bad. You never know, maybe it will be just like the woods in your story."

"That's what I'm afraid of" murmured Chihiro. There was a split second of complete silence and then Linca threw her head back and laughed. Chihiro watched her; she had a deep throaty laugh that made her blond tresses shimmer around her. It was not long before Chihiro was laughing too and soon the two were leaning on each other for support. The statement had not even been funny but it did not seem to matter.

At the window of the blue house Chihiro's Mother watched the girls walk down the hill in the afternoon sun. She saw them laughing with each other. She smiled, and worried a little less.


	7. Home again, home again.

Linca and Chihiro strolled through the dappled shade of the woodlands. It was so peaceful. It was a balm to Chihiro after talking to her mother. Linca seemed to be enjoying herself too, though for some reason she seemed a little nervous, she kept looking into the trees as if seeing things and then walking on. She muttered something under her breath. When Chihiro had enquired if she was alright she had just smiled and said.

"Perfect." Chihiro walked on a little and started humming to herself. She felt a deep happiness settle in her chest. All of a sudden she was skipping down the track.

"Hey!" Shouted Linca as she moved away from her. "What's got into you?"

"I don't know!" She shouted over her shoulder, "maybe it's just the holidays and…" Chihiro tripped up. Linca came running around the corner.

"Chi what happened?" She bent over her friend and helped her to her knees. Linca tried to pull her up the rest of the way, but Chihiro had gone stiff. Linca looked up to see a small squat statue with an ugly face. Chihiro seemed transfixed by it.

"Cool statue," she commented and looked around. There was a tunnel just in front of them.

"Wow," said Linca. "You didn't say this was here." Chihiro did not move. Linca looked from Chihiro to the statue. Chihiro's brown eyes were huge as if she had never seen a statue before.

"Are you two having a moment?" asked Linca, "because I can leave." The joke had no effect. Linca turned again to the archway.

"I'm just going to take a peek in here, I'll be right back." With that Linca stepped into the archway. Chihiro's mind was in turmoil. She had walked this track so many times, telling herself that it was just a pleasant walk and she knew there was nothing down here. Secretly she had always been disappointed when the track ended. She had on occasion ploughed into the woods and got hopelessly lost, coming home only hours later. Now she was staring at the same statue she had seen 10 years ago.

"Funny," she whispered. "It seems much smaller now." Then the dam burst, everything that she had bottled up over the years came flooding back, she could not stop it.

"She's my granddaughter."

"You want to lose your nose?"

"I want Sen!"

"Play with me or I'll break your arm!"

"I want you to call me Granny from now on."

"I said scrub it yourself!"

"Remember Chihiro, I'm your friend."

It was like drowning in her own memories. Chihiro knew if she could not get a hold on herself soon she really would go mad.

"Maybe," said the little voice. "You should swim."

"Alright!" she shouted, "it happened I was here 10 years ago. It's all true, I knew this all along!" Something seemed to click into place and the din in her head stopped. She took a deep shuddering breath.

"Much better isn't it?" Cackled the voice.

"Shut up!" Snapped Chihiro, "who asked you?" Then she shook her head and laughed. "I'm talking to myself again, I am crazy." She sighed, noticing the absence of pain in her chest, she felt… well, free was the best way to describe it. She had been right, all this time she had wondered if she was insane, but no she had been right.

She touched the mossy statue as if frightened it was all a dream. It was cold and slimy under her fingers. It was then that she burst into tears.

"Why wouldn't they believe me!" All that time she had lied to herself in order to fit into the world around her; perhaps it would have been best never to tell anyone.

"They were my parents they were supposed to believe me." She whispered. Then another thought entered her still shocked brain. Linca! She looked around, what was it she had said to her? She could not remember but as she looked at the tunnel she knew what had happened.

"Oh no!" She moaned and plunged into the tunnel after her friend. She tore out the other side of the clock tower, the building moaned like an alarm and perhaps that's what it was.

"Linca!" she called, she looked around the grassy valley, nothing. To her horror, she saw that the sun was starting to set. She remembered that time ran differently here. "

LINCA!" She screamed.

"Chihiro!" A distant voice reached her ears. Chihiro turned around a small figure was waving to her from across a river that was more stones and boulders than water. "This place is so cool!" Shouted Linca, "come on over and look around." Chihiro started running down the hill but Linca started to walk away.

"No Linca!" Chihiro shouted, "it's not safe here, we have to leave!" Linca waved again and walked up the steps. Chihiro ran faster, almost slamming into a boulder at the river. She could not see Linca now. She swore and slapped her hands against the rock. "Stupid girl!" she hissed, "I'm not saving her if she becomes a pig." She scrambled over the stones scraping her already bleeding knees. "

If I had known I'd be doing this today I would have worn jeans." She mumbled hitching up her purple skirt. As she climbed the steps she was surprised by how calm she felt. Here she was, back in a world that she had denied existed, and she was cracking jokes with herself. "Oh well," she thought. "So I've fallen into my own delusion, may as well enjoy the ride until the drugs that they are pumping into me at hospital take effect."

She ran up the dilapidated street, zig-zaging across it looking into all the food houses to see if Linca had been tempted by the delicious smells. But she was not there. Chihiro was puzzled, where had she gone? Why had she not waited for her? And why had she left to investigate the tunnel when Chihiro had been so obviously distressed? It made no sense, it was so unlike her.

Chihiro came to the steps leading up to the bathhouse. She slowed her pace and swallowed the lump in her throat. At the top of the steps, she could see the bridge and the towering, imposing red and gold bathhouse. It was defiantly as big as she remembered it. Just then a light flickered on next to her. She jumped and cursed in a way that would have made her mother disown her.

"Linca!" she shouted again, shadows were starting to move in the dark corners. Yubaba had to know they were here by now. She then looked down at herself and swore again. She could see the ground through her feet. She had forgotten about that. She needed a plan and fast. She racked her brain. There was no Haku to help this time; she would have to do it on her own. Wherever Linca was she knew she would be in the same state.

An idea tentatively formed. She grabbed at it. Kamaji; if she could get to him she knew he would help her. A doubt crept in, would he even remember her? She had no choice she could not feel the pain in her knees anymore.

She dashed across the bridge and slid open the tiny side door and squeezed through. In the courtyard she kept low, she could see one or two frogs moving around.

Then she saw her. Rin! The woman did not look a day older and was exactly the way she remembered even down to how she tied her hair. She was arguing with a frog. After browbeating him for a minute or two she stalked off. Chihiro remembering her situation moved to open the other door out of the courtyard. Her hand passed straight through the handle. Chihiro's heart turned cold, what could she do? Was she trapped here? How long before she vanished?

"Calm down," she muttered to herself. "Just think, there will be a way out; you're a university student for goodness sakes!" She closed her eyes and then opened them again because she could see through them.

Then she had another bright idea. Remembering putting her hand straight through Haku's face, she did the same to the door. She felt a bit of a tickle but that's all. She sighed and leapt at the door. She tumbled through it only to find herself teetering on the edge of the wooden platform beyond the door with a yawning drop below her. She gave a squeak and pulled back.

"Ok that was weird," she mumbled looking at the solid wooden door. "And I've established that I still don't like heights." She regarded the treacherously steep plank steps. "I remember you too." She mumbled. She hooked her legs over the platform and put her feet on the first step, it held.

"Enough of this timidness!" she cried, "I don't have time!" And she launched herself down the steps at a run. She saw the wall approaching at the bottom of the stairs. She knew she could do nothing about it. Instead of hitting the wall she ran through it and skidded to a halt in the pitch black of what she thought must be a storeroom. She looked around and saw nothing.

Panic did set in then. She fumbled about trying to find the opposite wall.

"I'm lost!" She whispered into the blackness. "I Don't have time to be lost!" but the opposite wall eluded her


	8. Out of the frying pan

Chihiro continued to search, she was sure she was walking through things she could not see. She could almost hear her heart pounding with fear. The darkness was complete and pressed like a blindfold on her straining eyes.

"No, it's not supposed to be like this!" she mumbled, "I'm supposed to save Linca and defy Yubaba, not vanish like a ghost." She had the distinct feeling of walking in circles so she stopped. She then heard a sound that made her heart skip a beat.

"Get a move on you little runts!" She ran towards the noise and popped out of the wall behind Kamaji's work station. But it was not Kamaji who was there. A red and black striped puff-ball of a spirit with a black head, stumpy arms and small fly's wings on its back regarded her curiously. Its big black eyes were insectile and unreadable.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Snapped a familiar voice, "don't you know it's very rude to surprise someone like that, where did you learn your manners spirit?" Chihiro turned and there sat at the end of the room was the six armed ancient spirit Kamaji.

"Kamaji!" She gasped feeling a little faint…literally. "It's me!" The old spirit removed his glasses, showing deeply wrinkled brown eyes.

"Who?" He seemed puzzled, "do I know you?"

"It's me!" she repeated. Her voice sounded a little far away. "It's Sen."

"Sen!" Gasped the old spirit, "what happened to you?"

"Kamaji I need food!" She was really faint now, the colours of her clothes looked completely washed out.

"Food!" the old spirit slapped himself on the forehead. "Of course a human coming to the spirit world will disappear if they do not eat food from this world." Kamaji scratched his head. "But I have no food; Rin has not been with breakfast yet."

The furry spirit buzzed its wings irritably and flew at great speed for such stubby wings to the little door and lifted up a used bowl. It buzzed back in. It reminded Chihiro of a bumble bee, a bumble bee with the speed of a hummingbird. It hovered in front of her and she noticed it had no legs just a flat furry base. She looked in the bowl. At the bottom was a puddle of congealed grease and 3 grains of rice.

"Buzz!" Said the fluff ball motioning her to the bowl. She put her hand out, not thinking, and it went straight through the bowl.

"How am I going to eat it?" she asked.

"Bee-la," snapped Kamaji, "feed her." The fluff ball extended a black hand, scooped up the leftovers and shoved it into her mouth. Chihiro gagged on the rancid fat but swallowed it and felt immediately sick.

"Yuck!" She exclaimed and looked down at herself. It has worked she was solid again.

Then two tokens fell from the hole in the ceiling. Bee-la buzzed back to the workstation. The soot balls picked up their coal where they had dropped it when Chihiro had popped in, and started to haul it to the furnace. Chihiro swayed, she still felt dizzy. A pair of gnarled old hands took hers and a third fell on her lower back.

"Sit down Sen," he said kindly. She sat on the polished floor and let Kamaji remove her black sandals. "Now drink some tea, you look a little green." He placed a cup in her hands with dark green liquid in it. "Peppermint tea, good for shock and upset stomachs," Chihiro sipped it. It slipped down her throat like a dream.

"Thank you," she sighed.

"Now," said Kamaji "Why are you here?"

"I came by accident," she replied. "A friend of mine wondered in here. Her name is Linca; she has no idea about this place."

"If that's true," said Kamaji. "Then Yubaba probably has her."

Bee-la having finished with the tokens buzzed over to them and plopped himself besides Chihiro with a muffled thud.

"This is my apprentice Bee-la," said kamaji. "He does not say much, but he can really move quickly which it what you need in this Job." Chihiro bowed her head to Bee-la. The Fluffball rocked forward and buzzed a bit.

"An apprentice?" She queried, "since when?"

"Oh, about a year or two ago. Haku suggested I get one when he saw how busy I was just before festival time."

"Haku?" The name slammed into her like a sledgehammer. "I thought he would have left Yubaba's service?"

"He did, and reappeared here 7 years later."

"W…Why?" she stammered "Where did he go? Is he here now?" Kamaji held up all six hands.

"One question at a time Sen!" He settled himself rearranging his arms and Bee-la buzzed off to attend to some more tokens.

"When you left he did exactly as he said and told Yubaba that it was all over. They had a huge argument; the bathhouse shook with it. But because you had given him his name back she had lost her power over him and he knew almost as much magic as she did." Kamaji shook his head "So when she attacked him he defended himself."

"Attacked him!" Chihiro felt frightened and then furious. " _How dare she!"_  she thought  _"After everything he did for her!"_  Kamaji seeing the human's eyes burn with rage quickly continued.

"Well after nearly destroying the place she had to let him go. So he said his goodbyes and left. Things went on pretty much as they had before, for a good number of years. Then custom started slackening off. Soon we were getting only a million a week. Then Haku turns back up at the door. He was different, more powerful, and even less talkative than he had been.

He went straight to Yubaba and apparently struck some sort of deal with her. Anyway about two weeks later he came to talk to me." Kamaji took a swig of his tea and gestured for her to do the same. She took a gulp and did feel less queasy. Kamaji continued. "He then told me his tale. He had found his river."

"Wait," said Chihiro. "I thought his river was destroyed?"

"You're a clever girl," chuckled Kamaji. "Think about it. As destructive as your race is, can they really destroy a river?"

"I don't know," she admitted.

"No," replied the spirit. "Re-rout it, yes, damn it, yes, but destroy it? No, no power in either world can stop water flowing with gravity."

"So what happened to Haku's river?"

"Buried, the whole thing flows through caves. Only the source in the mountains is still above ground. Anyway, when it was forced underground it disorientated him. I mean he is the river and the river is him. To have it moved from its natural course was a great trauma to him. So he was forced to take caporal form and split himself from the river. Yubaba found him wondering and confused and took him and his name. He forgot about his home, his soul. That was until you came back and woke him up."

Chihiro choked on her tea.

"Me!" she squeaked.

"Yes, you. Because of you, he remembered everything. He became reunited with a long lost part of himself and inherited all the power of a fully mature water spirit."

"No wonder he was different," she mumbled.

"Yes he has great power and I think it is a bit of a burden to him. But in coming back to the bathhouse he regained his focus and now we are as popular as ever. It was widely whispered that the Lord and Lady stepped in and enlisted his aid."

"Lord and Lady?"

"Oh, now this is a hard one to explain to an outsider." Kamaji scratched his head again. "Err, think of them as the King and Queen of this world, but they are more than that. They are pure magic, the God and Goddess of the spirit world, the essence of us all." Chihiro frowned.

"It is hard to explain, but they control this would as Yubaba controls the bathhouse, or like she did in the past."

"What do you mean?" All this information was making her head spin.

"Well, it was her greed and temper that eventually drove away custom. Even if she did not show such things to the guests, the staff grew unhappy and our guests can sense such things. So many spirits stopped coming. However, a bonded spirits need a place to rest and regain energy.

So Haku, whether he was sent or not came and struck his deal. He owns half the bathhouse and with his new found power Yubaba dare not cross him. Best way to tie up a frustrated dragon if you ask me, get him into business."

"Why is he frustrated?" Asked Chihiro, "surely he has all he wants now."

"All except that which he regained his power for," Chihiro shook her head not understanding. "To find you of course, he was worried about you, we all were. So when he finally got his power back he used it to try and locate you. But he could not find you; it was like you had cut yourself off from us. We took it as a good sign, that you were happy and did not remember us." Chihiro was stunned, for a few minutes she just stared at the old spirit and then a sudden sob bubbled up from her.

"It was not true," she cried "I was miserable, no one believed me, they thought I was mad. I made myself believe it was all a lie just to exist in my world. Now you tell me that the one person who could have brought me back could not find me because of this! I've been such a fool Kamaji" Tears rolled down her face. "I could have come back years ago."

"There, there," said Kamaji patting her with four hands. "Don't cry it's all ok now, isn't it?"

The door opened

"Breakfast!" said a voice that made Chihiro's face light up. She stood, still a little wobbly, forgetting her tears.

"Rin!" she cried. The dark haired pale skinned woman turned around and knitted her brows.

"Who are…" then she stumbled back a pace eyes wide with shock. "Sen…is…is that you?" She stammered as she looked Chihiro up and down. "You're all grown up, you look wonderful!" She came over to her and hugged her. "My, haven't you rounded up? A proper human woman now. You were pretty as a child but now you are beautiful." Chihiro blushed.

"Stop it Rin," she laughed. Then her face changed, her stomach cramped and her head started pounding. What was going on? Rin turned to give the soot balls their multicoloured food.

"Not feeling well still Sen?" asked Kamaji.

"Not really," she replied.

"Mmm," mumbled kamaji and crawled over to his chest of draws and extracted a tatty looking black tome. He settled himself and started thumbing through it.

Rin came back over, still bouncing on her toes to have her friend back, but she looked worried.

"So what are you going to do? Yubaba will know a human is here she may even know it's you."

"I don't know," Chihiro said worriedly. "I came here by accident, again. My friend is trapped here with me; Kamaji thinks Yubaba will have her by now." Rin nodded.

"It's quite likely and with Haku not here you have no protection from her."

"Haku's not here!" Now Chihiro was really worried.

"No he divides his time between here and his river," Rin stamped her foot. "That idiot! Trust him to be away when we need him."

Then there was a little tap at the door. Rin jumped and looked at Chihiro. Bee-la buzzed his wings. Rin went to the door and opened it. The Yu-bird still in its sparrow-like form flew in. It circled Chihiro's head twice and settled on her shoulder.

"I think you are being summoned," said Rin quietly.

"I guessed that," Chihiro shook herself and sighed. "I better get this over with." She turned back to them at the door. "If I come back as a pig, don't feed me too much kitchen rubbish. I prefer chocolate pudding." She then closed the door on the worried faces in the boiler room.


	9. ...and into the fire

After negotiating the many lifts with the help of the Yu-bird, Chihiro came once again to the hallway at the top of the bath house.

"I see Yubaba's tastes have not improved in my absence," she mumbled looking at the huge ornate doors. She took a deep breath and walked towards the doors. The ugly little door knocker glared at her. Chihiro grinned and took great delight in grabbing the knocker and slamming it down hard three times.

"Ooof!" Said the door knocker, but seemed too dazed to make further comment. The doors swung open and the lamps lit the way. Chihiro still hesitated.

"Get a move on!" Snapped the old cracked voice that still made her shudder. Not wanting to be pulled into her office Chihiro marched forwards and the Yu-bird flew off her shoulder.

As she walked through the gaudy rooms she tried to think.

" _I will not be intimidated by her,"_  she thought to herself. " _She is afraid of Haku, maybe I can use that. Also her baby and her sister like me, or did. I have to find out what she has done with Linca and to do that I can't be turned into a pig."_

With that, she straightened her back and raised her chin.

 _"I'm a great actress, I've had to be, she will never know I'm terrified of her."_  She walked into the study. If anything it was even more tastelessly decorated than she remembered with more clashing colours, more silks, satins and leathers. The combination made her head spin a bit. Yubaba was writing, the green heads bounded over to her and attempted to trip her up. She kicked out viciously at them, her foot not actually hitting them but the show of bravado sent them scattering.

She looked up, Yubaba's large over made up face was watching her, eyebrows raised.

"It's show time," she muttered.

"Yubaba!" she cried in a happy voice. "How nice to see you again!" Chihiro sat opposite Yubaba in a red leather chair in front of the witch's desk. She was perfectly aware she had not been invited to do so. Yubaba's eyes narrowed.

"So you are back," Chihiro nodded leaning back in the chair. "I suppose you want a job."

"No actually I don't," replied Chihiro and lent forward again and helped herself to the bowl of sweets on the desk.

"What! no tricks, no begging, no sneakiness?"

"No," replied Chihiro folding her arms and crossing her legs. Yubaba seemed genuinely surprised.

"You actually mean you are going to sit back and let me do what I like with you? Change you into a pig even?"

Chihiro looked up from examining her nails.

"Well, you could try." Yubaba looked livid.

"You insolent little leech! Do you have any idea with what you are dealing with!"

"Yes," was all Chihiro said. Yubaba was speechless. Chihiro smiled at her. "Go ahead; turn me into a pig, or a chicken, or a frog. Take your pick, just a couple of pieces of advice before you do though. I am in possession of a protective talisman given to me by your sister. Also, I know a certain dragon, who owns half of this business, would be very upset to hear that you have tried to harm me." Yubaba turned a little pale.

"He doesn't even know you are here." She retorted.

"Doesn't he?" Chihiro gave the witch her best evil grin. Yubaba paled even more.

"There is no way he could know."

"Oh well, if you are willing to take the risk." Chihiro stood spreading her arms. "Come on Granny Zap me!" Yubaba just stood there looking at her, eyes wide mouth working but saying nothing. Chihiro let her arms fall to her sides, allowing herself a little sigh. She had won, sort of. Her attitude had thrown the witch and she had bought herself time. Now for a big finish.

"The truth is you don't want to Zap me, you like me." Yubaba straightened up as if insulted.

"And I like you for all your bluster and amorality."

"Humph!" Was all the witch said she stood. Chihiro thought she saw a smile flash for a second on the huge mouth.

"I preferred you as a child; you weren't so cheeky and had respect."

"I have respect for you now, but the fact that you were going to eat my parents and enslave me for the rest of my life kind of diminished it a bit." Chihiro gave another evil smile.

Yubaba opened her mouth as if to say something else when there was a thud, followed by another and another. Chihiro was expecting Bou to appear along with a trail of destruction, but he didn't, instead, the door to the nursery opened and a massive toddler appeared. Bou had lost his excess fat and was now just a huge chubby child complete with curly brown locks.

"Mama!" he said his voice still babyish. "When you finish talking to Sen can she come and play with me?" Chihiro was shocked. No demands, no you'll do this or I'll cry. She suspected Zeniba's influence.

"But sweetie," protested the witch. "Mama has to punish mortals who come here."

"Why?" Demanded Chihiro, standing up and slamming both hands flat on the desk. "I ate no food of the spirits, committed no crime. I came here by accident, now why don't we stop these games and you tell me where my friend is!" Chihiro's brown eyes flashed with anger. Yubaba looked puzzled.

"What friend?" She asked, "what are you talking about?"

"My friend Linca entered here a few minutes before me, what have you done with her?"

"Mama?" Bou was frowning, "you haven't hurt Sen's friend have you?"

"Sweetie I would never do anything like that." Whined Yubaba, she then glared at Chihiro. "Only one human crossed the border and that's the truth if your friend entered here like you said then she isn't human." It was Chihiro's turn to look puzzled.

Yubaba then sighed.

"Let's forget punishments, for now, you will stay in the boiler room until I decide what to do with you. At least your stink will wear off while your there. You will not leave there without my express permission, do you understand! Now go and play with my son, you have 15 minutes." Chihiro gave a shallow bow.

"Yes Yubaba, I understand and thank you." She then took Bou's hand and went to play in the nursery.

Yubaba sat down, her mind working furiously. With the girl in her possession, she had a gambling tool.

"If that dragon is away long enough I can arrange to have the girl hidden. Then I could use her against him to get my bathhouse back." She rubbed her lip with her index finger. "I'll make the arrangements in the morning, in 4 or 5 days I could move her to a secure place and things will get back to the way they should be." Yubaba chuckled and then coughed. She really should give up the cigarettes she thought; besides Bou detested the smell.

"But it's not as if they will kill me." She chuckled.

She did not notice the movement at the office window. A large white bird that had been perched there flapped away. She rose and popped her head into the nursery.

"Five more minutes you two," she said. Chihiro dropped the toy dinosaur she was playing with.

"Very well," she said and started to clear up the toys. Yubaba left.

"Can you come again?" asked the child. Chihiro smiled.

"I will try but I think your mother has plans for me." Bou nodded.

"I'm visiting Auntie Zeniba's in three days, I'll tell her you are here." Chihiro was surprised the child was so shrewd.

"I'm surprised your Mama lets you visit." She said. Bou gave a toothy grin.

"She has to, she told me I couldn't and I cried for four days straight, now I visit once a month."

"Well don't get into trouble," she warned.

"I won't," he replied. Chihiro stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheeks.

"Take care." She whispered and left.

By the time she reached the boiler room, she was sweating and shaking. Rin was still there, pacing the floor. As soon as Chihiro stepped back inside she flew at her, grabbed her and sat her on a mattress on the floor.

"What are you doing?" giggled Chihiro. Rin looked in her eyes felt her head and demanded she opened her mouth and inspected the inside.

"She already has a fever." She said to Kamaji. Kamaji passed a small bottle to Rin.

"Give her a dose of that." He said.

Bee-la was working like a mad thing while this was going on. The soot balls were streaming out of their holes with coal for the boiler. Rin plunged a spoon intoChihiro's mouth, the liquid on it tasted like fish oil.

"Yuck Rin!" she choked "Yubaba didn't kill me, now you are trying too. I thought you were my friend." Rin gave a tight smile and then turned to Kamaji.

"If you don't tell her I will!" She seemed annoyed and stressed.

"What did Yubaba say Sen?" he asked ignoring Rin. Still choking Chihiro gasped out.

"She is going to use me to get back at Haku I think. It's the only explanation for why I am not pork. I'm not allowed to leave this room without her say so. Also, she does not have Linca and I don't think she was lying about that. So either Linca has had help or…" she trailed off. Linca had to be human, she thought. She had known her for a year and a half.

"Chihiro you're dying." Rin cut in.

"Rin!" snapped Kamaji.

"She has a right to know!" She yelled back.

"Dieing?" It all seemed a bit unreal, "of what? I have a bit of a fever but…"

"It will get worse," interrupted Rin. "Do you remember when you were here last time and you felt ill your first night?" Chihiro thought back.

"Yes, I felt queasy and faint, but I was fine by the next day."

"That illness is called the Sallow-Hale it should have killed you," Said Kamaji. "You see," he continued. "Your mortal body does not really belong here. It can't adjust to this world without help. The first symptom, the disappearing is alleviated by food. However, that only grounds you here. Your body needs help to survive here or all your systems will eventually fail and shut down."

Chihiro felt her brain start to work the problem.

" _Why is this? Is it some poison in the air? A protein that my body needs that is not present in the food here? Maybe the body of a mortal is not fit for inter-dimensional travel and ceases to function outside its own space-time."_  She shook her head.  _"Stop it!"_ she told herself _. "Your dying you idiot it does not matterwhy, just how you can get better!"_

"So what cured me?" She asked. Kamaji and Rin looked at each other.

"We don't know" whispered Rin.

"Do you remember anyone casting a spell on you?" asked Kamaji.

"I think I'd remember that! No, I don't think anyone…" Then it hit her.

_"I put a spell on it to give you back your strength. Just eat it"._

"Haku," she whispered. Kamaji and Rin looked at each other again, puzzled.

"Haku put a spell on me," she explained. "He gave me some rice balls to eat saying that he had spelled them to give me back my strength. He never mentioned the Sallow-Hale."

"He probably didn't want to scare you," Said Rin gently. She then became more business-like. "So we need to get a message to him."

"How?" asked Kamaji. "We can't track him and I have no idea where his river is."

"Zeniba would help," said Rin.

"But how do we contact her? Do you really want to ask Yubaba for a day off to visit her sister? Also, we would have to walk. That would take a week." Kamaji shook his head.

Bee-la, ignoring the eight tokens hanging at the workstation, flew over, buzzed and pointed at the ceiling before racing back.

"Bee-la is right," Said Kamaji. "The only one who can help you is Yubaba." Chihiro shook her head.

"No Kamaji. I will not give that witch any more power over me. I'll wait. Bou is going to Zeniba's in three days. See if you can get a message to him to take to her."

"What if we can't do that?" Asked Rin, "what if Haku is away for a long time?" Chihiro sighed.

"Be straight with me, how long do I have before I get really ill?" Kamaji flicked through his black book.

"A week, two at the most," he grunted.

"Then I shall wait until I can no longer stand then I shall go to Yubaba."

"Sen this disease is not pretty. You will have the sweats and shakes until you get so weak that you can't eat anymore. Then you will die."

"That won't happen!" She said with a smile. "Someone will help before then, but Yubaba will force me into her little schemes. I want none of that, she must not find out." Chihiro looked at the two worried faces and gave them a brave smile. "Come on you two! Do you think I'm that weak? Have a little faith in me." Then she started to shake and had to lie down.


	10. Friend or Foe?

Sucked back to consciousness Chihiro groaned.

"Lie still," said Rin. "Don't try to get up too soon."

"What happened?" Chihiro croaked. Her throat was dry her body felt as if it had been beaten by a big stick repeatedly. She ached all over, every muscle complained and when she shifted she almost screamed from the cramp.

"I said lie still!" snapped Rin again, "you want to hurt yourself or something? You are the worst patient I've ever had!" Chihiro relaxed.

"And just how many patients have you had Rin?"

"Three," she declared "you're my fourth."

"Well, that's not a very large basis for a comparison. Four in your long life! Now if you were a full-time healer I'd be insulted."

"Give it a rest you two," sighed Kamaji. "Rin leave her alone, Sen, stop antagonising her."

"Who are you, my father?" Chihiro complained.

"If you act like a child you'll be treated like one," Retorted the old spirit. Rin actually stuck her tongue out at him. Chihiro giggled and made to sit again.

"Stop it!" cried Rin.

"I have to keep moving Rin. If I stay flat on my back all day I'll just get weaker more quickly."

"Alright." she held her hands up. "I give up." Rin then helped her to sit up against the wall, supporting her back with pillows. She placed some ginger and lemon tea in her hands.

"Now drink up and don't argue," Chihiro sipped the tea and pulled a face, it was very strong. The ginger burnt her mouth and the lemon was so sour it made her eyes water.

"I'd kill for a coffee," she complained. "That's what's making me sick, caffeine withdrawal, and not inter-dimensional travel."

Rin smiled but did not understand what she was talking about.

"So what happened?" Chihiro asked again. Her muscles were starting to relax but her head still hurt and she still felt queasy.

"You collapsed and fitted for a good few minutes." Said Rin, "afterwards you were unconscious for the rest of the day."

"No wonder I feel like I have a hangover," She mumbled. Rin looked at her seriously.

"Sen I beg you go to Yubaba, there is no need for you to suffer."

"No," Chihiro replied firmly. "I will not get myself involved with that witches intrigues."

"But…,"

"No buts Rin this is how it has to be. What do you think she will demand of me in return? I will at least have to sign a contract and forget my name etc. Then what else? Will she use me against her sister? Against Haku? What if she does get the bathhouse back? I bet you Kamaji will not keep his apprentice. You and all the other workers won't keep their day off, or their right to a share in the tips, or the changing shift patterns so no one has to work nights all the time. These are all things Haku has brought in; she will tear it all down."

"You should be thinking of yourself, not us," Replied Rin.

"You're my friends, how can I not think of you?" Chihiro sighed, "my decision is what is best for everyone, not just me." Rin just shook her head; she could not believe how selfless Sen was being. Selfless and stupid.

"Did you get the message to Bou?" Asked Chihiro.

"Yes," replied Rin. "And he said he would be glad to carry it for us. He leaves tomorrow." Chihiro smiled.

"You see, in a few days all will be well, including me." Chihiro could not help thinking to herself.

_"Since when did I become the optimistic type? Things always go wrong for me."_

* * *

Over the next 24 hours, Chihiro's condition worsened. She felt as weak as a kitten and had started to vomit. She had kept her last meal down though with a combination of herbs Kamaji had dosed her with. She kept busy by helping Kamaji prepare the herbal infusions and extracts that were most needed so that Bee-la would not have to stop and make them himself. When he had time the puff-ball air spirit would sit by her and fan her with his wings.

Chihiro would chatter away to him with only the occasional buzz for an answer. She also chattered to the soot balls. Kamaji suspected all this chatter was down to a case of cabin fever. The young woman must be very bored he thought, she had been stuck in the stuffy boiler room for four days now.

Rin came when she could, but she was very busy. The summer solstice was approaching. It would be one of those few times of the year when the bathhouse would close. There was no point it being open, no spirits would come. They would be celebrating the suns ultimate conquest over winter by being with their rivers, air currents, trees and mountains.

"All of nature rejoices in the solstice," Said Kamaji.

"I never really noticed," Replied Chihiro.

"You wouldn't you're human," was all he said as if it was an explanation.

Rin talked of nothing else.

"It's great we all get the night off and have a huge party. You'll have a great time!"

"I don't know," muttered Chihiro. "Me and parties don't seem to mix."

"Nonsense!" replied Rin, "everyone enjoys themselves on the solstice."

Linca also pressed on Chihiro's mind. Where was she? Was she okay? She missed her banter and sense of humour, at least she knew about coffee and chocolate, even if she wasn't human as Yubaba had claimed. However, it looked as if Yubaba had been worried about the possibility of a human running loose. Rin had toldChihiro that the witch had sent out search parties that had scoured the place.

At dawn on the fifth day, Chihiro had woken up to a sharp rap on the boiler room door. Kamaji and Bee-la were just about to turn in for the day, Chihiro struggled up, she felt weak but not sick. The door opened and a frog Chihiro did not know waddled in.

"Yubaba wants to see you human." Was all it said, Chihiro wobbled to her knees.

"Give me ten minutes to get dressed please."

"Don't take all day!" Snapped the frog, and slammed the door.

"Kamaji" she hissed "Help me, I can't look ill." The two spirits went into overdrive. Soon she was dressed in a loose pair of cream linen trousers with a cream linen tunic on her top. Bee-la pulled some cosmetics from somewhere and in a moment her face was powdered and her cheeks blushed. He did a good job of hiding the unhealthy pallor of her skin. Lastly, Kamaji gave her a dose of something that burned on its way down her throat.

"It will give you strength, but not for long, and it will leave you weaker than you are now when it wears off."

"Thank you, both of you," she clasped a hand from each of them. "And I promise if I get no help by tomorrow I will ask Yubaba for help." Kamaji nodded and Bee-la buzzed.

"Hurry now," said Kamaji. Yubaba does not like to be kept waiting.

* * *

The frog escorted her through the bathhouse. He mumbled all the way.

"Stinking human, coming here, not right.… Should be punished… Would not have happened 20 years ago." Chihiro said nothing. Kamaji's medicine was pulsing through her. It was like a fire in her veins but she was very aware that it was burning a lot of energy. They came to the top floor. The frog had gone strangely quiet. Instead of leading her to the doors that taste forgot, the frog turned sharply and walked away from the doors and down the hall.

"Hey!" Said Chihiro, "aren't we going the wrong way?" The frog did not reply.

"Hey!" She said again, but he just kept on walking. Chihiro slipped in front of him. The frog's eyes stared blankly, he pushed past her.

"Okay," she said to him. "I'll just follow you shall I?" They turned a corner at the end of the dark marble hall. The hall abruptly ended in a dark wooden door. The frog knocked and the door opened on its own.

"I can take a hint," Chihiro mumbled and walked in.

The room was large bright and airy. Paper screens surrounded two walls. The rest of the walls were glass, looking over the flat plain below. There was a dark wooden desk with two chairs on opposite sides. Apart from the odd ornament and picture the room was quite bare. The desk had nothing on it except a brush and ink.

"Take a seat please," Said a voice. It was deeper than she remembered it but there was no mistaking it, low, calm but with a slight lilt to it.

Her brain scrambled, unable to think of anything to say for a moment, she sat in the high backed brown leather chair. She looked around, she could not see him, and the room looked empty. She heard a noise by the door, she turned around in the seat. Still, there was nobody there.

"Why are you playing these games?" she asked much more calmly than she felt.

"I'm not playing games," came the reply from the other end of the room. She whipped her head around and there he was, standing by the windows.

"I'm just having a good look at you, to see if any of the little girl I remember is left."

Chihiro said nothing, she couldn't, her tongue seemed nailed to the roof of her mouth. It was the eyes, for a moment they were all she saw. Almond shaped, large, and the most unnatural shade of brilliant green, to look at them was to drown in liquid emeralds. Then she managed to tear herself away and look at the rest of him. He wore baggie black cotton trousers, the hems of which brushed his bare feet. He wore a tighter fitting tunic which was charcoal grey and a dark green sash was wound around his middle.

Part of her had expected the boy she had known, after all, Rin had not aged. It was a shock to discover that he was a boy no longer. His face was more chiselled and defined. His cheeks held no hint of stubble; Chihiro suspected he did not grow facial hair at all. Her eyes climbed his face to his hair. Black with highlights of green cut in the same style she remembered or perhaps a little longer. He had grown tall, a good head taller than her. He had also filled out a little, she ripped her eyes away from his physique altogether when she realised she had been staring at him for over a minute. She could tell by the slight turn of his full lips that he was amused by this.

"Had a good look?" He asked casually. Afterwards, Chihiro could think of a million put downs but at the time she said…

"I did not know spirits aged?" he did smile then and she felt her stomach tighten, he was devastatingly handsome.

" _And dangerous,_ " she thought to herself. " _I can feel the power in him, he has changed._ "

"We don't," he replied. "Not unless we wish to. But most of us do not want to remain children forever. We have to grow up, but at a certain point we chose whether to age or not."

"Why did you wish to?" she asked. He laughed; it was a deep rich sound.

"As bold as ever I see, maybe there is some of the child yet in this woman's body." Chihiro did not know whether that was a compliment or an insult.

He moved to the desk and sat; such easy natural grace he had.

" _Stop it_!" she told herself, " _you're thinking of him as if he was a horse you were about to purchase. Get your mind out of the gutter and concentrate your not out of trouble yet!"_

"I thought Yubaba wanted to see me?" she asked.

"She did," he replied. "But I got here a lot faster than she thought I could so I intercepted you." He picked up a glass. Chihiro looked at the desk there was a fancy bottle of something fizzy and two crystal glasses on it.

 _"Wasn't that desk empty a moment ago?"_  he thought. She took one of the glasses and had a sip of the cloudy white liquid. It tasted like fizzy strawberries but ones laced with alcohol and then frozen; it chilled and warmed at the same time.

She took a deep breath and let it out blowing her fringe off her face. Haku ran his figures through his hair and smirked.

"You know after all this time I thought I would have plenty to say to you, but now I can't think of anything." With that, the imposing God of the river act was dropped. Chihiro smiled to herself.

_"Looks like I'm not the only one who can put on a show for people."_

"I thought that too," she said out loud. "But none of it seems important now."

"Well," he said sitting back and getting comfortable. "Let's start at the beginning. You are here by accident again aren't you?"

"How do you know that?" She asked.

"A little bird told me," he replied.

"Okay keep your secrets," she smiled. "Yes I am here without meaning to be, there was a girl with me, Linca. Do you know where she is?" Haku's face darkened for a moment.

"It's taken care of," he said.

"But where is she? Is she alright? Where has she been?" Chihiro pressed.

"She is fine and you will see her soon."

 _"More secrets,"_  she thought, what was going on? Chihiro took another sip of the strawberry stuff.

Haku sighed and put his glass down.

"Though it is good to see you again, we must start planning your return."

"Return?" Chihiro was taken aback. In the week she had been there she had not once thought of her world.

"Yes, you are to go home." He looked at her, puzzled. "Surely you did not think you would be staying here?" Chihiro flushed, of course, she had.

"Absolutely out of the question," Haku shook his head making his hair shimmer. "You can't stay in this world; it is no place for humans." Chihiro had heard a little too much of that attitude for her liking. It was as if the fact she was human was an answer for everything she did not understand or could not do.

"Why? Does the thought of a having a human around the place disgust you that much?" She snapped and immediately regretted it when she saw the hurt on his face. Haku narrowed his eyes.

" _A particularly lizard-like gesture,"_  She thought.

"My concern is for you, many spirits think little of your kind and they have some justification. This world is dangerous, you may think this is some fairy tale place but it is not. You bleed as easily here as you do back home, and magic can do things to you that you can't even comprehend." He hissed.

"What if I am willing to take the risk!" she spat back at him.

"I am not," he replied. That took the sting out of his words somewhat, she felt her anger melt away. But the stubborn part of her shouted.  _"Will everyone please stop doing what they think is best for me!"_  However, to Haku she said…

"Please…please don't send me back. I was miserable there, I want to stay." She gave him an earnest wide-eyed look. "Please," She whispered. The green eyes regarded her for a long moment.

"No," he said gently. "You must go back, what will your parents think?" Chihiro grimaced, they would be frantic.

Haku stood.

"I'm sorry but this is the way it has to be. I have my reasons. I will take you back in two days." It was a dismissal if she had ever heard one. She stood, a little shaky now that Kamaji's potion was wearing off. She would have to sort that out, but what did it matter now if she was going back? She gave a low bow.

"Thank you for seeing me Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi." Haku frowned at her; she had used his full name as if it was slur.

Without another word she left his office, he called after her but she just shut the door and wandered down the hall. Tears came to blur her sight, she seemed to be crying a lot lately.

"I don't want to go back," she sobbed. "I can't do it, I don't want to." She stumbled and realised she was shaking. She gasped and sniffed but could not stop her tears.

"He does not want me here. Where can I go now?" she wailed at the corridor. She swayed and the shaking increased in severity.

"I won't go back," she whispered, and her legs gave up and she crumpled to the floor.

* * *

Haku was staring out of the window when he heard the paper screen slide back.

"A little bird told me!" squeaked Linca, "why didn't you tell her?"

"She has enough to deal with. You should not have brought her here."

"Oh come on dragon!" snapped Linca. "With respect, you did not see her back there, shy, retiring, will completely crushed. Her parents thought she was crazy, she was miserable, what was I supposed to do?"

"How about your job?" he growled. "I sent you there to make sure she was well and to integrate her back into her own world if needed. Instead, you led her here and put ideas in her head that can only lead to disappointment." Linca felt afraid of the angry dragon but stood her ground.

"Oh, I did my job. I even tried to get her a boyfriend," Haku's head snapped up at that and he narrowed his eyes.

"You went there to help her, not act as matchmaker!" he hissed and then made an angry sound in his throat.

 _"Did he just snarl at me?"_  thought Linca, Haku towered above her and she was only too aware of the massive power he could command, she felt intimidated but refused to show it.

"What better way to ground her there than a man, and possibly children?" Haku spun away from her and looked out the windows, body rigid, jaw tight.

"But she rejected all that, still pining away after all these years for a place she had spent but a few days in. I saw it was pointless and I brought her home."

"She is not meant to be here, she is human, and it is dangerous," he protested.

"Dangerous for who?" retorted Linca, "you or her?" Linca did not get an answer as then Haku gasped and cried.

"Chihiro!" he dashed from the room, down the hall to where the collapsed young woman lay in a pathetic heap. He pulled her up to him gently.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and brushed her hair back from her face. He then picked her up and carried her back to his quarters.


	11. Home is where the heart is

Chihiro had to make a real effort to open her eyes. When she did the whole world seemed to be spinning around her. She was disorientated and she did not recognise her surroundings. Finally, she focused. She was in a large room with large windows opposite the bed she was lying on. Black drapes covered them. The bed was big and she was lying right in the middle of it, on soft downy pillows with a white feather down cover over her. She looked down at herself and shifted her body. She was very naked underneath these covers! She let her eyes rove the room only to realise she had missed the rooms other occupant. Linca was sat on a chair by the bed. She was slumped over; her hands and face resting on the bed. At least she thought it was Linca, her hair was such a pale blond that it was almost pure white, like fresh snow. Her skin was also pale and slightly bluish, she almost looked dead. Chihiro shifted herself with difficulty to a sitting position, tucking the cover around herself. She put her hand on Lincas head and the woman stirred.

"Linca!" she hissed.

"Ummm," Linca tried to nuzzle into the cover. Chihiro grinned.

"Linca, its double pure maths at nine!" Chihiro whispered in her ear, Linca sat bolt upright and then looked around her.

"I'm awake!" She rubbed her eyes, "how late am I? Do I have time to…" She looked at Chihiro. "That was a nasty trick to play on someone Chi." Chihiro smiled and then stared. Lincas eyes were pure white with no irises or pupils and her lips were bloodless and blue. She was beautiful in a kind of haunting way.

"Not as nasty as not telling your best friend your big secret." Retorted Chihiro, Linca frowned.

"I wanted to, I really did but I had to see how you were doing in the human world. Knowing your friend was a land spirit would seriously have biased your outlook on your life I think." She yawned, "besides, you never told me anything about your time here except in a roundabout way." Chihiro smirked.

"Can you blame me? Everyone thought I was crazy, including me sometimes."

"Well, what does it all matter now?" Said Linca taking her hand, "I brought you home."

"And now I have to leave again." Mumbled Chihiro, her conversation with Haku came flooding back.

"Him! Don't worry about the big bad dragon, he may act the God but he has a real soft spot for you. I'm sure if you plead and bat your eyes he will let you stay."

"Already tried that," Chihiro was ashamed that she had.

"Really?" Linca cocked her head to one side, "I'm proud of you girl." She stretched and tucked the cover more firmly around her friend.

"By the way, we chucked dragon man out of the room before Rin and I cleaned you up. Just in case you were worried." Chihiro laughed Linca always made her laugh.

"We are getting off the point here, why were you in the human world? Why did you befriend me? Were you really even at the university? Who changed you to look human?" Linca held her hands up.

"Wow, take it slow." She looked over her shoulder at the screens. "I'll answer all your questions later, I promise, but we have to sort you out first."

She stood and rapped on the paper screen.

"She's awake," She said quietly. The screen rattled back and Haku walked through. His hair was slightly untidy, but apart from that, he seemed the same. He walked over to the bed and all of a sudden held a steaming bowl in his hands.

"Where did that come from?" Chihiro asked. He sat in Lincas chair. Linca left the room sliding the screen behind her, but not before giving Chihiro a huge knowing wink.

"The kitchen," Haku replied. "I just transported it here."

"So you can't make things out of thin air?" he smiled at her question.

"No, I could cast an illusion but you can't eat that." He held his hand over the bowl. It glowed blue for a second, and then he took a china spoon and fed her what looked like rice porridge. Chihiro accepted the spoonful but said after.

"I can feed myself you know."

"Less talking, more eating," He told her sternly. The porridge was pleasantly savoury so Chihiro did not protest further. The bowl was soon empty. Haku put the bowl down lent forward and tucked the cover more tightly around her, just as Linca had done.

"You need to keep warm," He muttered. He seemed a little distracted by her bare shoulders. She could smell herbs on him, had he been to see Kamaji? He sat back.

"Why did you not tell me you were suffering from the Sallow–Hale?" Chihiro plucked at the cover.

"I don't know, I guess I was angry at you, it seemed pointless getting cured if I was going back anyway." He looked at her, his green eyes concerned.

"That was a stupid thing to do. Do you know how serious that disease is? Why suffer if you don't have to?" She shrugged.

"I guess my pride got in the way," She mumbled.

"Your pride could have killed you, especially after Kamaji dosed you with that concoction."

So that's why he had been down there! He had probably given Kamaji an ear full. His eyes were hard and angry now.

"You haven't changed your mind have you?" she asked meekly. The eyes softened, he shook his head, and his greenish hair shimmered.

"No, in fact, I'm more sure now than I was yesterday. You must return, the spirit world is too dangerous for you. It is not natural for you to exist here." He looked at her thin, pale face, her eyes were a warm brown and at that moment they were staring at him imploringly. However, he would not waver in his resolve. "I said I had my reasons. If you did stay here, unless you became an employee under contract again, you would have to justify your existence here to the Lord and Lady themselves. If they did naturalise you and that's a big IF, you would be bonded here and never be able to return home. You would never see your family and friends again."

"I am home," She whispered. "I could work under contract again; it would not be so bad. There are a lot of things I'd rather forget about."

"Over my festering corpse," he growled low in this throat. Chihiro was a little stunned. Sometimes there really were elements of the carnivore about him. He continued more gently. "You see why you must go back?" he needed her to understand, she nodded saying nothing and he sighed. "I need to return to my river. My business there is not complete." He took her right hand in his. It was warm and soft, his hand seemed to dwarf hers. He ran his thumb over the back of her hand and then realised what he was doing and stopped. He gave her a sheepish look. He was concerned, however. Chihiro was not saying much, which was unlike her.  _"She is taking this badly,"_  he thought. "

I will return in two days, by that time you will be rested enough to go home." She just nodded again, brown eyes looking more at the cover than at him. He dropped her hand gently, almost reluctantly. "Rest well, Linca will look after you. I guess you have some talking to do anyway." He got up and was about to leave when he turned back. "If there was any way I could keep you safe here you know I would do it." She finally raised her eyes to his and gave him a cool look. She ignored the need for understanding that she saw on his face.

"I know that," she said, her brown eyes were now burning with anger, it really was not fair! He sighed.

"Alright Chihiro, hate me if you must." He mumbled and to Chihiro's surprise left the room by walking through the nearest wall.

Chihiro's chest felt like lead. Linca had opened the curtains. She looked out at the flat plain; it was dry, not flooded like she remembered. The grassland still looked like the sea, just a green one. It was featureless except for the train line, but beautiful in its own way. To come so close, to save her sanity for all those years, in the vain hope she could come back… Dear Linca had seen the need and made it happen. Now the person she hoped, no needed to understand, was snatching everything away from her. That hurt more deeply than she cared to admit. She put her hands to her face as she felt the tears prick her eyes. She would not cry! She would not cry! But it was hopeless, the tears and the sobs came, and soon she was crying as if her heart would break. She did not hear Linca enter.

Arms folded around her and a hand stroked her hair.

"Chi," she whispered. "It's not that bad, maybe it's for the best. Maybe he is right; I should not have brought you here."

"No," Chihiro sniffed. "I'm glad you did, but it hurts even to think about leaving. This is my home." Linca sighed.

"Do you know that your race is drawn to this world? Humans find its magic and power irresistible. Are you sure it is not this that you feel?"

"You knew me in my world Linca, what do you think?"

"That you belong here, that your soul is here." Linca wiped Chihiro's face with a damp cloth.

"Chi, how badly do you want to stay?" Linca asked.

"More than anything." She croaked, Linca wriggled down on the bed so she could see her friend better. Her white eyes regarded Chihiro thoughtfully.

"Well, how about you give almighty dragon God the slip and go to someone else powerful."

"Zeniba? Will she agree to help me?"

"She will if you just turn up on her doorstep," smiled Linca. "Your adoptive Granny will help you in every way she can."

"What about Haku?" Chihiro asked, "he's just doing what he thinks is best for me."

"And is it best for you?" Enquired the spirit.

"No," Chihiro muttered.

"Then do your own thing, who says you have to listen to his lordlyness!" Chihiro frowned.

"How will I get there? I have no train tickets."

"Who needs train tickets?" Chortled Linca, "I'll spell you so you have a bit extra strength, and you can hitch a lift on the back shunters." The idea did have some appeal, she had to admit.

"What about you?" Chihiro asked.

"I'll distract his majesty. I'll stir up Yubaba or something."

"He'll be really furious when he finds out." Said Chihiro but could not help smiling.

"So!" Said Linca, "he won't get a thing from me, and you'll be safe at Grannies." Chihiro still was not sure.

"Come on Chi, this is the best thing I can come up with, I want you to stay. I've never had a proper friend before. If you go back I can't follow you without that dragon's power and I don't think he would do that again. Apparently, he slept for nearly a month after sending me, it nearly killed him." Chihiro smiled.

"I'll go, if I get your full story."

"I'll tell you when you are at Zeniba's. For now green and handsome is right, you need your rest."

"Okay Linca, thank you." Yawned Chihiro, she really was tired.

"Hey, what are friends for." Linca melted away into nothing. Chihiro settled down.

 _"Are people here incapable of using doors?"_  She wondered sleepily.


	12. A sticky situation

Twelve hours laterChihiro had a change of clothes and some food in a back pack. She was still a little wobbly, but it felt good to be up and about too. Linca helped her dress and made sure she ate.

"So," said Chihiro when she was ready. "What's this spell?"

"It's more of a super sticky, anti tiredness spell."

"A what?" Chihiro looked unconvinced.

"I'm going to make the palms of your hands go sticky when you say, "Glue," and un-sticky when you say "Unglue." That way you won't fall off the train. Also I'm going to give your system a bit of a boost, so your muscles don't get tired as you hang on fora fewhours."

"Ok," said Chihiro "Zap me." Linca placed the palm of her long fingered pale hand on Chihiro's head.

"I call on the powers of my heart place to perform my will. Gift this mortal with the ability I wish to bestow." There was a flash and Chihiro stumbled, she felt no different. Linca smiled gleefully.

"Try it out," She invited. Chihiro grabbed Lincas hand and said "glue." She tried to pull her hand away. She couldn't it was as if her hand was fused to Lincas. Linca leaned back, Chihiro did the same. Her hand was still stuck fast.

"Ok I'm impressed, Unglue!" she said, her hand immediately slipped out of Lincas. She would have fallen backwards if Linca had not grabbed her.

"Just don't forget the commands. It would be embarrassing if you were stuck to that train for the next two days."

Chihiro laughed but was cut short by a shout of,

"What's going on here?" Rin stood at the door, arms folded. She marched into the room and waved a finger at Linca.

"I told Haku that leaving you in charge was a bad idea! A sprite like you has no sense. Chihiro should not even be out of bed yet." The finger turned on Chihiro.

"And you, who have been at deaths door all week, should not even be standing up yet. Now I find you dressed and geared up to go on some sort of trip, without even telling me or Kamaji! Obviously humans get dimmer as they get older." Chihiro feltvery guilty. It was like being told off by your big sister.

"I have to go Rin," she said simply. "I can't go back and I won't." Rin sighed,

"We all just want to see you safe… You're mortal and so fragile. It was her that brought you back." She said glowering at Linca. "You did not stumble in here again, and though we are glad to see you, you should go back."

Chihiro folded her arms. Now it was time to defend her little sister and put a few things straight.

"Rin I know your looking out for me but you really don't know what's right for me. I do and Linca does too. She saw how bad things were for me in the human world. How I hated myself and my life. In the week I've been here, I may have been sick, but I've had such a sense of freedom and belonging. I'm not prepared to give that up! Linca has done me a great favour and acted as a true friend. As for being fragile, yes I'm mortal, yes I can die more easily than you can, yes I will die in 60 years or so. However, I am strong, I am clever and I have a temper to match yours at times. I am going on a short trip, not far, I promise I won't be irresponsible and do something stupid, like getting killed." Rin raised her eyebrows.

"What about Haku? He will be livid when he finds out you've gone."

"Linca thought I should leave him a note, I'm not going to now because you can tell him I've gone. I don't expect you to lie for me Rin." A look of relief crossed the spirit woman's face.

"Good because I was not looking forward to the hours of torture," Muttered Rin. Chihiro laughed.

"Oh come on! He's not THAT bad." Rin and Linca looked at each other, Linca winced.

"He's very powerful," she mumbled. Chihiro could not believe she was hearing this.

"Oh really?" she grinned, "Don't tell me you two are afraid of him." Rin looked a bit sheepish and murmured.

"A little, you've seen what he's become, how casually he can wield his magic. Imagine what he can do when he concentrates."

"He sent me in disguise to the human world to look out for you." Said Linca, "that requires tremendous power!"

"If you had any sense, you would not be going against his wishes." Rin wrung her hands.

"Oh for goodness sake! You two are treating him like some evil overlord, just because he could possibly create chaos."

"You should be careful of him though." Rin seemed really worried, Chihiro sighed.

"I'd be the first to admit he is different. But his power does not bother me, I still see some of the boy I knew in him and I've come to think of him this way. A river has the potential to cause great damage when it floods, even kill. But I'm not going to worry about that on a sunny summer's day.

"OOO!" said Linca slightly mocking, "that was deep girl!" Chihiro smiled at them both.

"He's a good person, but he's getting in my way. So I'm off to have a little adventure of my own." She hugged Rin and then Linca.

"Tell him I was in good health when I left and that I'll be back in a week or so." Rin sighed,

"He isn't going to listen you know, he'll come after you."

"I'd expect nothing less of him." She said with a wistful smile.

She shouldered her pack and left the two spirits in the room. As she closed the door she heard Rin laying into Linca.

"Of all the stupid ideas to put in her head! It was very irresponsible of you…" She chuckled to herself as she walked down the corridor.

* * *

 _"Whose idea was this again?"_  Thought Chihiro as she stood on the platform. Two shadow spirits drifted back and forth on the platform. They still gave her the creeps. The train came pounding along the track and as it slowed, Chihiro jumped from the platform and ran up alongside the track a bit. As it passed her she ran after it and as it stopped she grabbed onto the shunters and hauled herself onto the rear fender. She got herself as comfortable as she could before putting her hands on the fender and whispering "glue." Just as she did the train moved off.

"Here we go," she mumbled, "This is either a stroke of genius on Lincas part or a really stupid thing to do." The train gathered speed and she felt the pull on her arms, but she did not move. The vibration of the train travelled up her body; she knew that after hours of this she would really ache. She looked around the rolling grasslands which were now streaking by in a green blur. She shivered, the day was cool and the wind created by the train was cold. She looked up when she felt a drop of water fall on her head. Storm clouds were gathering and threatening to engulf the sun.

 _"Wonderful,"_  she thought,  _"I'm going to be really uncomfortable in about an hour."_  She was right.

* * *

 

About three hours later she was about to give up. She felt weak and sick. It was not as if the journey was boring and intrestinglysome of the places they had stopped at seemed not to exist fully in this world. Platforms were transparent or disappeared altogether when the train left them.

The rain, pouring down for the last few hours, was stained brown. Chihiro was soaked to the skin and cold, so cold. Her hands, stuck to the fender, were looking a bit blue. She had stopped shivering long ago. She suspected Lincas anti-tiredness spell had worn off.

"Okay, its official," she mumbled, "this was stupid."

* * *

The train approached swamp bottom. Chihiro was numb by now, and her thoughts seemed to have slowed to a crawl. But the train was not slowing down. Chihiro realised that with no one at the platform, and no one on the train wanting to go there; the train was not going to stop. Chihiro swore in a way that would make Linca blush, and muttered.

"Unglue," her hands came away and she found that aftermany hours in the same position, they had ceased up. It was agony but she forced her hands to form fists. She looked up and jumped.

She hit the tracks hard, but rolled and struggled to her feet with only a few cuts and bruises. She ached all over, and she suspected that the Sallow-Hale had left her weaker than she had admitted. Still she was here. A little way off she could see the moss covered platform clock. She saw movement on the platform.

"No-face!" She called and hobbled up to the dark and shadowy masked spirit. The spirit was holding something, a blanket. He drifted over and placed it about her shoulders. Was it just her? Or did the mask seem to have a slight smile on it?

"It's good to see you again!" she exclaimed hugging him; it was a bit like hugging wet cloth stuffed with jelly.

"Uh," came the reply.

"I'm glad to see you've stayed, you must be happy here."

"Uh, uh," two firm nods. He put a hand on her back and guided her down the path.

She walked a little way and then said.

"How can you be pushing me, and yet the rain passes straight through you?

"Uh, uh, uh, uh." A strange sound, the No-Face equivalent of a laugh? She looked up at the mask; yep she was sure he was smiling. Presently they came to the cottage. Chihiro was not surprised to find that her blanket was still bone dry. Zeniba waited at the door. Yubaba's twin was completely identical to her in every way. They even dressed in the same frilly blue gowns, and styled their white hair in high buns. The only difference in Zeniba was in the softness of the plate sized eyes and the aura of kindness the witch possessed.

"Oh Chihiro!" She cooed taking the wet girl in her arms. "Oh my poor dear girl, come in, come in." She sat her down in a comfy chair at the table. Chihiro began to shiver.

"Now what would you like to drink? After a warm drink, straight to bed with you. We will talk more in the morning. So what will it be mmm? Tea? Or something stronger now you are all grown up?" Shivering Chihiro smiled to herself.

"You would not happen to have any coffee would you Granny?"


	13. Confrontation

Chihiro woke to the smell of cooking. The delicious savoury scents tickled her nose.

 _"Yum,"_  she thought and her stomach rumbled. She rolled off the mat on the floor, washed her face in the basin and tied back her hair. She then walked through the curtained partition.

Granny was at the stove stirring a large, cast iron pot of something. No-face was whipping up some eggs at the table. Chihiro sat at the table glad of the warmth of the stove, as the linen nightgown Granny had given her was a little thin.

"Food will be with you in a moment dear," said Granny. Five minutes later Chihiro had a huge bowl of savoury oat porridge placed in front of her.

"I want to see you eat it all now. You need to build your strength back up and get some meat on those bones." Chihiro smiled and attacked the porridge.

Bou meandered in when she was halfway through it. He was covered from head to toe in mud. The swamp was thick with it after all the rain. Granny shook her head.

"Really look at the mess you are in! Oh well, sit down, we'll wash you later." Bou had a bowl placed in front of him.

"But I'm not hungry Auntie." Chihiro nearly choked. "I want to play with Sen!" he whined.

"You can go back out and play after you've eaten. But Sen and I have to talk." Bou pulled a face but did not argue. He wandered back out after wolfing down his food. No-Face put a cup of tea in Chihiro's hands and offered her a plate of biscuits.

"No more please!" she laughed, "I'll burst."

Granny sat.

"Now my dear, tell me everything." Chihiro proceeded to do so. The witch winced a few times as if she found the story hard to hear, but she did not interrupt.

"When I saw that he was obviously going to be stubborn about this. I was so upset I kind of ran away…" Chihiro concluded Zeniba sighed.

"Well, you've put me in a very difficult position, my dear. My first instinct is to send you back, but you no longer fit in there. It seems we must get you bonded to this world and that won't be easy."

"So how do I become bonded to this world?"

"First the Lord and Lady must deem you worthy. Second, you yourself must justify your existence here. Thirdly you need three spirits of great power to speak for you."

Chihiro frowned. "You're right that is difficult."

"Don't fret my dear, you are meant for this world, it is clear."

"What do you mean?" asked Chihiro.

"I mean you just stumbling in here, not once but twice, was no accident. Fate has her hand firmly on your destiny. With this in mind, I would be glad to speak for you."

"Oh, Granny! Really!" Chihiro hugged the old woman.

Just then the windows rattled. Chihiro stiffened knowing what it heralded.

"Oh dear," she mumbled and sat back down. He had found her, and quickly. She looked at Zeniba, the old witch smiled.

"Surprised?" she asked, Chihiro nodded.

"You shouldn't be. Dragons are stubborn creatures."

The door slammed open rattling on its hinges. Haku walked through it a few seconds later. At least Chihiro thought it was him. His green-black hair was dishevelled and the immaculate clothing rumpled. He was paler than any human still breathing would be. He strolled into the room and bowed formally to Zeniba. She nodded in return trying unsuccessfully to hide a grin. For a moment his eyes fixed on Chihiro. Her heart seemed to stop. She contemplated running for the door. It was a look a predator would give his prey, hungry and wanting, eager to complete the hunt. But it was the cold anger that emanated from him that really scared her. She began to think she was wrong about him. That he was a danger to her, and perhaps above all, that was why he wanted to send her back.

She had no more time to ponder this, as he marched over and took her firmly by the arm and pulled her up.

"Haku… I…" The emerald eyes glared at her, daring her to speak again. Her jaw clicked shut. Then he was dragging her from the house. He was so strong! His hand tightened on her arm until it was painful. She tried to pull her arm away and dig her heels into the floor. He simply kept dragging her. He pulled her through the door and it closed behind them.

Zeniba and no face looked at each other.

"Well, that did not go very well," then she laughed. "This is going to be quite amusing I think." She floated over to a window. No-Face gave an UH of protest.

"Oh hush," said Zeniba, "you always spoil my fun. I'm only going to make sure they don't kill each other."

* * *

Haku finally let go of Chihiro outside of the house. She was so surprised she fell over in the mud. He bent to help her up, but she shrugged away from him and stood. Her nightgown was ringing wet and smeared with mud. She was angry now.

 

"How dare you treat me like this? I'm not your pet human to be dragged around!" He stood before her fists clenched, eyes deathly cold when he spoke his voice was very quiet.

"This was a very stupid thing to do. You could have been hurt, even killed. Do you know what would have happened to you if you were caught stowing away on that train?

"Nothing happened I'm fine…" she snapped but he interrupted her with a growl.

"You would have had to serve on the train for a year and a day, and I could do nothing to prevent it." She was fire to his ice, however.

"Oh yes, that would have really got to you, wouldn't it? Something you can't do! Well, maybe I should have got caught. At least then I could stay."

"Chihiro I thought you understood…"

"Oh yes I understand…" she spat, her temper was running away with her now, years of control were slipping. "…I understand that you don't want me here!"

"No!" It was his turn to raise his voice he. "I would do anything to keep you here, do you really think I want to send you to a place you won't be happy? But your family is there and you will be safe."

"Well it's nice to know you care!" she spat sarcastically.

"OF COURSE I CARE!" he roared "I care more than you will EVER know! Can you possibly imagine what it's been like for me? I had the power to contact you, but could not find you. I looked for years, hoping you were alright but plagued with dreams of you crying and calling my name. Sometimes you called in anger and sometimes with such pleading I felt my heart would break. I sent Linca to track you down and see how you were, and if you were distressed, to try and help you. But now you are here and I can't keep you safe."

He had not meant to say so much, she could tell, she had provoked him into it. For a moment the green eyes were full of pain, and then they hardened again.

"Now you are coming with me, conscious or unconscious. I'm taking you home."

"I AM HOME!" she shouted at the morning sky. Chihiro prodded his chest with her finger, unaware that he towered over her. "Get this through your thick lizard's skull dragon. You don't own me. This is my life and I'm living it. Now you may be concerned with my safety but it's me that's taking the risks. I could walk down the street in the human world and be raped, mugged or murdered, or maybe all three at once! I face as many risks here as I do there, except people here use magic instead of automatic weapons. I want to stay. Now no doubt you could knock me out without any difficulty, and drag me back. But would you really act against me like that? How many dreams do you think you'd have when I returned? Because I'd make sure I haunted your every moment. I hate it back there I belong here with you…"

She left that hanging for a moment, and when she saw his eyebrows rise in surprise, she hastily added. "And Rin, Kamaji, Bou, Linca and Granny." Was it just her? Or did she see a softening in his hard eyes, and perhaps a slight quirk to his lips. She gave a big sigh and her anger ebbed away, leaving her trembling with the after effects of adrenalin. "I know what I face, I'm not as fragile as I seem. Yes, I'm mortal and can die, but spirits can too." She took a pace back from him and shrugged off her aggressive stance. "I know what I have to do if I want to stay and maintain my freedom. I know that I will have to leave everything behind. If I am willing to do this, why can't you have faith in me? I'm not a child anymore. Please accept my decision." He looked at the ground his greenish hair falling to cover his face.

"It's just you are so naïve. You know nothing of this place you can't even defend yourself, physically or magically." He looked back up at her and gave her a crooked smile. "I could not help but notice you've grown up. You've become a very attractive young woman." Chihiro's cheeks coloured. Unsure if he was teasing her she ignored the compliment. Haku continued more seriously. "Are you absolutely certain of this?"

"Yes, I am." She replied. He stepped towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Then I'll help you and I'll speak for you."

"Thank you," she whispered. She was not sure if she should hug him or something, but suddenly she was aware of how tall and imposing he actually was. The thought of draping her arms around him made her stomach tighten. She could not believe she had been yelling at him a moment ago. He saved her the moral dilemma by saying.

"Now before we go back don't you think you should get cleaned up?" She looked down at herself. She knew her nightgown was hopelessly soiled, but the water had soaked through it making it transparent, and it was sticking to her in the most awkward places.

"Ah!" She squeaked. She did not have enough hands to cover everything so she just folded her arms and blushed crimson.

"Don't get me wrong," he said grinning boyishly now. "It's very a very eye-catching look, just a little immodest."

"Get your mind out of the sewer and help me!" she snapped. He held his hands up in surrender.

"As the Lady commands," he chuckled. Chihiro had the strange sensation of ice shivering down her spine. Half a pint of water dropped out of the hem of her nightgown, wetting her bare feet.

"Better?" he asked still grinning.

"Much," she glared at him and checked over the garment, it was bone dry and opaque once more. Even the mud had gone. Chihiro smiled in spite of herself. Linca was right magic did fascinate her.

He gave a polite cough drawing her attention back to him.

"You may want to move back a bit now," she frowned.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because if we are going to get back in under a week, I need to change forms."

"Oh…oh right." She stammered clumsily. It was so easy to forget that he wasn't human. She moved away from him, interested in seeing the transformation. There was a blinding flash of light and when her vision cleared there he was. Shining mother of pearl scales, a green main and horns. The eyes were the same though, and the fey intelligence in them would warn anyone that he was no mere beast. Chihiro could not help staring for a moment.

 _"He's magnificent!"_  she thought, and then shook herself mentally.

"You did that on purpose!" she accused. "You knew I wanted to see you change." His tongue lolled out of his mouth, and the eyes glittered with amusement. He was laughing at her. She scrambled without grace onto his neck and held onto his horns. She remembered she had to grip with her knees to avoid slipping off. She also had to hike up her nightgown to a very unladylike level. She contemplated ripping it up her legs but discarded the idea. It was after all a present. Haku took off and raced towards the clouds.

* * *

Zeniba sighed when she saw them leave.

 

"It's so nice when your plans come together, isn't it my friend?"

"Uh," said no face.

Bou came wondering back in having witnessed the entire confrontation, unnoticed by the combatants.

"Auntie?"

"Yes?" replied the witch. Bou's chubby face was a study in confusion.

"What's going on?" Zeniba smiled.

"I'll tell you when you're older."


	14. A Land Spirits Tale

Chihiro had forgotten the thrill of flying with Haku. She remembered the flying of course, but the memory of the sheer exhilaration had faded. She saw the world in miniature, the flat plain seemed to extend forever except to the west, where purple mountains rose out of the flat land like jagged teeth. The wind whistled around her pushing her hair out of her face and streaming it behind her. Haku looked almost silver in the morning sun. It was hard to believe that this creature of myth was the handsome man she had been arguing with a few moments before. However, something in his dragon form reminded her strongly of his human-like one. Maybe it was the eyes, or his graceful movements in this form were echoed in his human one. Whatever it was, all she knew at that moment was the joy.

She let go of his horns and put out her arms, as if flying herself. Just then Haku dropped beneath her. She gave a little yelp and grasped his horns again.

"You spoilsport." She accused, "you get to do this all the time!" he then dove and her stomach seemed to migrate to her mouth and she nearly lost Grannies breakfast. He pulled a number of gut-wrenching turns; it was like being on a roller coaster.

"All right!" She laughed, "you win, I'll sit properly." He returned to a more even flight, his tail streaming behind him. Chihiro sat for a while admiring the view. She found that her eyelids were starting to drop. She was still tired from being so ill she realised. She shifted down his back and wrapped her arms around his horns and rested her head on her hands.

"I'm just going to take a little nap." She yawned and was asleep almost immediately. Haku flew on and gave a low growl of satisfaction.

* * *

"Chihiro?" A voice was calling her name. She was so tired; all she wanted to do was sleep. "Chihiro?" Someone was shaking her.

 

"Just five more minutes," She mumbled and snuggled into her pillow. Someone gave a surprised laugh.  _"This pillow isn't very comfortable."_  She thought, " _it's quite hard and it's warm."_  Her eyes snapped open, what she saw made her wish she was still asleep. He had transformed back to his human form while she was asleep. He was holding her in both arms, one around her shoulders and the other under her knees. She had been nuzzling his chest. He looked down at her still chuckling.

"Well hello sleepy," he said. Chihiro wanted the ground to open up and swallow her.

"Hello," she said sheepishly, "you can put me down now." He did so, still smiling, eyes full of mischief. Obviously, he was enjoying her discomfort. To add to her embarrassment they were not alone.

Rin came over from the shadows of Haku's office next door. She looked the girl up and down.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," replied Chihiro. Not satisfied with this Rin placed a hand on her head.

"Mmm, no temperature, open your mouth," Chihiro did so. "Tongue nice and pink, how many fingers am I holding up?"

"Rin I'm fine!"

"You were at death's door two days ago! In the mood he went out after you I'm sure he was a little too rough, now answer me!"

"Three," said Chihiro.

"Okay," Rin stepped back and turned to Haku. "Her room is ready, as you requested. Also, Linca has just regained consciousness." Chihiro felt cold, her heart froze. Haku winced under her questioning gaze.

"What did you do to her Haku?" She asked very quietly.

"Nothing permanent," he replied lamely. Rin folded her arms.

"He forcibly read her mind to get your location when she would not tell him. She fought against him and used all her strength. She's been unconscious for a whole day." Chihiro's mouth hung open. She could not think what to say. At that moment the long silent voice, not heard since she had left the human world, made its presence felt.

_"Now, now, this world is different to yours. The morals are not the same…"_

_"Screw that!"_  she thought, forcing the voice away.

She walked up to him, stood on her toes and whispered in his ear.

"It's a good job you're a friend of mine, if you weren't I would scratch your eyes out!" She put her heels back on the floor. He went to say something, but she put a finger to his lips. "Don't do anything like that again. There's no excuse and you know it! Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should." She walked away from him and stopped beside Rin.

"I'm very disappointed in you Haku." She said, "I thought you were a kind spirit, but now I think you're just as bad as the witch down the hall." She walked out the door. Rin stayed for a moment longer.

"I hope you're proud of yourself!" Was all she said and followed Chihiro out of the room. Haku groaned and slumped in his chair. If only he hadn't lost his temper.

"She hates me," he mumbled.

* * *

Chihiro stalked down the hall ranting as she went.

"How could he! How dare he…he's…he's…I don't even have a word for what he is, in any language!" Rin sighed.

"He's a dragon, what do you expect?"

"But he's so nice to me most of the time," protested Chihiro.

"To you yes, the rest of us tread on eggshells"

"Oh come on Rin, he's had ample opportunity to do something horrible to you. How many times have you yelled at him and he's just taken it?"

"True," replied Rin. They were both silent for a moment.

"In all fairness Linca wasshouting at him. I'm not going to repeat what she said." Rin was smiling.

"Poor Linca." Sighed Chihiro, "She really has no tact sometimes. When will she learn to keep her mouth shut?"

"She's alright; he did not really hurt her. She just refused to give in."

"Sounds like her," muttered Chihiro.

They were now on the floor below Haku and Yubaba's quarters.

"I put her in your room." Said Rin and opened a dark hard wood door. The room was light and airy. On the living room wall was painted a mural of a cherry tree in blossom. The rest of the room was a cream colour. Through the Glass doors at the end of the room was a small balcony. To the right was a screen which Rin slid back. The bedroom was a hazy blue. There was a large double bed, (which Chihiro was grateful for, not being used to the floor.) On the bed was Linca.

"Chi!" She said sitting up, "You're okay!"

"I'm fine," Chihiro replied. Lincas face was drawn and grey looking instead of the normal pale bluish of her complexion.

"That bloody dragon!" moaned Linca weakly, "I think my brains have fallen out my ear!"

Chihiro winced.

"Sorry Linca, this is all my fault." Chihiro perched herself on the bed.

"Nonsense!" replied the spirit. "It was my idea, remember?" Chihiro smiled.

"Yes, I remember." Rin looked at them both.

"Well, I'm going to get some tea for the two of you. I suggest Sen that you get changed, you're barely decent." Rin regarded her nightgown with disapproval. "There are clothes in the cupboard." Rin left closing the door quietly behind her. Chihiro sighed.

"Now that we are all alone, why don't you tell me your story." Linca gave her a crooked smile.

"Okay, you got me." She rolled her eyes; at least Chihiro thought she did, it was difficult to tell with them being all one colour. "I was, am, a land spirit. That is a spirit of a certain area of land. Now, this can be a few trees, or a whole mountain. We are responsible for keeping the energies balanced in our areas and charged with their protection. Even if we have an entire town on us, we still have a job to do. I was the spirit of a few acres of farm land outside a town called Pripiat in what is now the Ukraine. There was one family that owned the land there. I'd known them for generations; they even made gifts for me at Yuletide, and left them in the woods for me. They also gave me many offerings of Vodka for which I was very grateful, and I made an extra effort to keep the land fertile for them." She grinned at Chihiro, "I even corrupted a few of their younger sons."

"Is that possible?" asked Chihiro interested in spite of herself.

"Oh yes," replied Linca. "What do you think we take on a human form for? Congress between spirit and human was not all that uncommon until the last few centuries. Now humans don't tend to believe in us to begin with, let alone want a night of supernatural passion. Many spirits shun all contact with humans now anyway, it's a shame."

Chihiro shook her head at Lincas brazenness.

"Anyway, I'm minding my own business one day, eyeing up the local water spirit, who was really hot! Then it happened."

"What?" asked Chihiro.

"I don't know," replied Linca. "There was a big flash of light and then there was so much energy flowing around the place I thought I was going mad! I was forced to leave and though I tried to return many times, this strange energy forced me back. In the end, I had to take permanent corporal form and separate myself from my home. I made my way to this world. I was one of the lost, I wondered for quite some time before stumbling on this place. Luckily I met tall, green and handsome first. He soon had me cleaning tubs but without the name stealing. After about three months he came to me with a proposal."

"To find me?" said Chihiro.

"That's right," said Linca. "I missed humans and he wanted to find you. He put a spell on me to make me look human and transported me to roughly where he thought you were." Linca shook her head. "The power he must have used to pull that off! I did not think it was possible!"

She shook herself, white eyes refocusing on Chihiro who was still listening with rapt attention. "So after a bit of detective work, I found out you were at university. So I went there, and after some carefully applied magic, I became the new Russian exchange student. I befriended you and followed you around. I never actually went to lectures, unless you came too, and after a month I realised something." Chihiro raised her eyebrows, questioning. "That you were a wonderful person and a real friend." Chihiro felt a lump in her throat; she was touched by Lincas words. "But also that you were desperately unhappy, and ever so slightly crazy." Chihiro laughed. "So I set about trying to help you, just as the lizard asked me too. That's what Scott was all about, but even that did not work. So I made up my mind to take you back. The borders are open for a few weeks before the solstice, that's how you got through last time. With all the movement between the worlds at this time of the year the borders are just permanently open, they have to be."

"You planed to bring me all along?" Asked Chihiro.

"Yes, I hoped everything would be okay once we got here. Well, after I did a bit of flying to warn his majesty that you were here at Yubaba's pleasure. When he came back I thought we were home free."

"Wait a minute did you say you flew?" Chihiro's eyes widened, she was beginning to she Linca in a whole new light.

"Yes," Linca replied. "Haku is not the only one to have two corporal forms. Mines only an owl, not as imposing as his scaly-ness but it works for me."

Linca stretched and yawned.

"So what did he do when he caught up with you?" she asked feigning disinterest in her light breezy tone.

"It's okay now Linca, we've come to an understanding, sort of." Lincas white eyes fixed on her.

"What did you do to get him to change his mind?" she asked.

"Nothing you would have done, just yelled at him."

"I tried that, it did not work," grumbled Linca. Chihiro chuckled.

"Well according to Rin I'm a special case, as far as Haku is concerned." Then her face darkened. "He should not have done this to you." Linca waved her hand.

"Ah, I'll live and I was rather rude to him."

"That's no excuse, he should not throw his power around like that." Linca yawned again.

"Well, maybe he's learned his lesson, because if know you I'll bet you told him you were not happy about it." Chihiro shifted on the bed slightly embarrassed.

"I told him I'd scratch his eyes out." Linca laughed so hard Chihiro could not help laughing too.

"Oh, that's funny!" Linca gasped. "I can just see his face when you told him that too!" When the giggles died down, Chihiro thought about what Linca had told her and frowned.

"Where did you say you were from again?" She asked.

"Pripiat, a small town, you've probably never heard of it."

"But I'm sure I have, the name is familiar…" Chihiro racked her brain, and then it hit her.

"Chernobyl!" Linca looked blankly at her. Chihiro explained excitedly.

"In the 80's there was a core meltdown at a nuclear power plant in Russia, well it was Russia then. The whole town of Pripait and the land for miles around had to be evacuated. The whole area is radio active and that no one can go back there, that seems to include you too." Linca plucked at her blankets and frowned.

"That was the bright light?" Chihiro nodded. Linca glowered at the blankets and swore.

"Stupid idiots," she whispered, "The damage they must have done to my home!" She turned to Chihiro and gave her a fierce look. "No disrespect Chi but humans are bastards."

"I agree," murmured Chihiro. "We are thick, stupid and destructive."

"But cute in your own way." Lincas voice wobbled. Chihiro looked at her sympathetically but decided to keep the banter going.

"I know," she said. "It's just a pity we smell so bad." Linca laughed, the laugh turned to dry sobs, which in turn became inconsolable weeping. Chihiro held her, waiting for the tears to stop.

"I want to go home!" Linca wailed, "I miss it so much!" Chihiro rocked her gently. "I know exactly how you feel." She murmured.


	15. The trouble with being Human

Haku sent for her at lunchtime. She kept him waiting for another two hours. She would have kept him waiting longer if Linca had not said she would cut her wrists if she did not see him. Rin then virtually dragged her up to the elevator and even pulled the lever for her. She walked as slowly as she could down the hall but eventually walked into his office without knocking.

Haku was writing at his desk, teal coloured hair shading his face as he bent over his work. He looked up as she marched in.

"So you are here at last," he said raising dark eyebrows over flashing emerald eyes.

"I was looking after Linca," Chihiro folded her arms and glared at him defiantly. "What do you want?" She snapped. He put his brush down and gestured to the seat opposite him, Chihiro took it.

"I wanted first to apologise," Chihiro was surprised that he had lost his stubbornness.

"Go on," she said. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I was wrong, even if I did get you back the ends did not justify the means. I had no right to do what I did."

Chihiro nodded a little cagily.

"Apology accepted, but you should really be saying this to Linca, not me." He bowed his head, eyes downcast.

"What you say is true, and I will but I have to clear something with Yubaba first." Chihiro frowned. "Call it part of the apology." He then put some of that strawberry like wine in her hand. She took a sip and smiled at the extraordinary taste.

"What is this stuff Haku?"

"Snowberry wine, quite rare actually, but I enjoy it." Chihiro took another sip.

"It's delicious," she grinned.

"We only serve the best vintages in this office," he sat back and clasped one hand behind his neck.

"So how are we going to go about this?" Chihiro shook her head.

"I don't know."

"Well first off, if you are here for another week or so, the Gods will put in an appearance. So we could do nothing but…"

"But?" Echoed Chihiro,  _"why is there always a but?"_  she wondered. Haku lowered his arm, eyes serious.

"Well let's say everything goes well. You do become bonded to this world and carve a niche for yourself. What about your parents?"

Chihiro's cheeks coloured with shame. She had been here over a week and had not really thought about them. She stared at the desk, unable to look at him. Haku bent over the desk and placed a finger under her chin and lifted her head back up. His eyes were soft and full of sympathy.

"Might I make a suggestion?" He asked voice gentle, almost purring.

"Sure," she replied. It was an effort to get the word out, being pinned by those fey eyes. Her breathing seemed to be too shallow. He dropped his hand and Chihiro felt slightly disappointed, though she could not say why.

"You should go back," he held up his hands to still her protest. "Just for a day or so, see them, tell them what's happening and then return."

She was unconvinced.

"I will put a spell on you so that you can pass between the dimensions without harm." She nodded he was right, her family would be thinking the worst.

"Do…do I have to go today?" She asked shyly, he shook his head, green hair catching the light.

"No, I think we will keep you around for a few days yet." He smiled and his eyes laughed.

"It is the solstice festival in two days; you have to stay for that. Linca would never forgive me if I sent you back before she gets a chance to get you into a dress." Chihiro giggled but stopped when she saw his face become serious again.

"Is all this okay by you? Am I being unreasonable?" He seemed anxious.

"No," replied Chihiro. "Not at all, it seems you have more of a conscience than I do."

"Not really." He said, and then he frowned and held his head on one side as if listening to something. "Linca and Rin are arguing, you better get down there."

"How do you know?" an enigmatic smile crossed his lips.

"I can hear them from here; I am a dragon and have very sensitive ears." Chihiro sat back and gave him her best stunning smile, and held out her glass. It was empty.

"I think I'll let them get on with it." She wiggled her glass; Haku refilled it from the highly ornate bottle. She sat back, crossed her legs and sipped the wine.

"I could get used to this." She sighed, eyes half closed.

"I bet you could." Smiled Haku and drank some more himself. He looked at her over the lip of his glass, emerald eyes full of secrets. "I could get used to this too." He mumbled.

* * *

argument had finished by the time she got down to her room again. Not even the two sulky women could spoil her good mood. She and Haku had talked for a good hour, with no awkwardness at all, completely at ease in each others company. He had also told her about his river, with great enthusiasm.

"It's beautiful," he had said. "I wish I could describe it to you but it would seem different to you."

"Could I see it sometime?" she had asked. His face had lit up with an almost child like eagerness.

"I would like that." He had said quietly, eyes shining.

Her mind had tentatively begun to explore a possibility that until that afternoon had seemed a foolish girl's fantasy. Linca would laugh if she knew what she was thinking. Doubt clouded her mind however, was it even possible?

 _"Of course it isn't, we are just friends!"_  She told herself, but the notion refused to be forgotten. She meandered around in a light daze for the rest of the day. Linca was well enough to get up in the late evening and declared that she would go down to the boiler room. Chihiro was exhausted, so she got changed and slipped into bed. As she fell asleep, she swore there was something moving in the darkness. She was too tired to care and suspected it was her imagination. She soon slipped into a deep sleep.

* * *

She did not wake until the afternoon, her eyes fluttered open, and she yawned, stretched and gave a sigh of great contentment. She let herself wake gradually and then swung her long legs out of the bed. She went to wash her face in her little bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror over the sink. Large brown eyes stared out of a halo of untidy hazel hair. She shrugged and wondered back to the bedroom, that was when she saw it.

Hanging on the back of her bedroom screen was a dress. Not just any dress, no, you own a dress such as only this once in your life. A dress that makes you feel like a princess. Chihiro extended her hand and hesitated, afraid to touch it. It shimmered at her. The top was pastel green silk, with long bell sleeves that were long enough to cover her hands. On the bodice in slightly darker silk thread were embodied flowers, beautiful delicate flowers she did not recognise. Chihiro touched the stitches, they were tiny. The skirt fell loosely from the bodice. Made of the same coloured silk, the skirt was darted and panelled. Inside the panels was a dark green shiny silk that would only show when the skirt flared out, like while dancing. On the skirt's fabric were tiny crumbs of what looked like crystal. There were hundreds of them winking at her.

Chihiro was quite shaken, a dress like this was not cheap, even in the spirit world. She was sure it must have cost a fortune. On the floor was a pair of soft dancing slippers, also in green with ribbons long enough to tie up the leg. Lying on the left shoe was a card. Written on the card in close neat, handwriting was…

_Chihiro,_

_You shall go to the ball. (Linca suggested I write that, said you would find it funny.) I hope you find the dress to your taste. I took the liberty, I hope you don't mind._

The note was unsigned but Chihiro knew who this was all from. She frowned, what did he mean take the liberty? Then she saw a piece of pink ribbon peeping from the other shoe. She pulled at it, and out popped some flat plates of what looked like bone. They were dance cards, only ever used for formal balls. Names of partners would be written on them for each dance and the cards were tied to the wrist. That way there was no mix up of dance partners and partners were distributed more evenly. Written in the spaces for the last two dances was…

_Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi_

Chihiro was thrilled. He'd done all this so she would not have to embarrass herself by asking him for clothes. She had no money to purchase a dress, let alone one as fine as this. She began to wonder if he had a treasure horde like the mythical dragons.

She went to get changed and had a nasty surprise. After cursing the female reproductive system, she wondered what to do about it. Did spirits even need hygiene products like she did? She took an educated guess that they did not. She got dressed anyway and went down to the tub floors. The bathhouse was quite quiet, only a few spirits seemed to be in this early or this close to the solstice. She saw the frog Forman.

"Is Rin around?" She asked the frog. The frog did a complete double take.

"M…mistress Chihiro, what are you doing down here?" He stammered.

"Looking for Rin." She said, slightly sarcastically.

"Oh…oh yes…well she is decorating the hall for the festival. Is…is there anything I can help you with." The frog bowed to her.

 _"Why so helpful?"_ She wondered.

"No thank you," she replied and walked away.

After stopping a few times for directions she realised everyone was calling her "Mistress Chihiro" and bowing and scraping.

 _"What is going on?"_  she thought. Then it clicked, Haku had put the fear only a God could into them, and now they were terrified of offending her. She was a bit annoyed about that. She found the hall eventually and Rin was snapping out orders.

"I said higher... that's not straight... those lights aren't clean!" Chihiro strolled over to her.

"Well!" said Rin with her hands on her hips. "Look who decided to get up!" Chihiro smiled and then asked.

"Rin, where can I get some bandages?"

"Bandages? What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," she said quietly, "I just need them."

"Come on! It's me you're talking to," said Rin. "What have you done to yourself?"

"Nothing I…" Then a hand fell on her shoulder. She knew who it was even before she turned around. No one else sent a jolt through her like that. He looked at her expectantly, a little smile on his face, eyes dancing.

"Thank you for the dress," she stammered. "I really don't know what to say… it's wonderful." His smile broadened, pleased.

"Haku," said Rin. "She is hurt and won't tell me anything."

"I'm not hurt." Protested Chihiro, getting the distinct feeling of being ganged up on. "I just need some bandages."

"Why?" Asked Haku looking puzzled.

"I just do." She mumbled getting a little irritated.

"Why won't you tell us? We are your friends," pressed Rin.

"It's personal!" She hissed, this was far too embarrassing for her.

"There is no need to be shy," said Haku in a coaxing voice. "You can tell us anything." Chihiro's face was beet red; she just wanted the ground to open up and save her from the worried gazes of the two spirits. Suddenly she was VERY angry at them both.

"Okay!" she snapped "You want to know it all here goes." She gave them an evil grin. "The female human womb lies dormant most of the time and we have no trouble with it. However if a girl reaches puberty and has not had intercourse resulting in a pregnancy…" As she continued Rin and Haku's eyes grew wide. Rin actually looked a little green. Chihiro continued and spared them no detail. She covered conception, birth and even sex just to spite them. (She was sure spirits did things no differently to humans when it came to sex, but did not really care as she wanted to patronise them as much as possible.)

"…Therefore the lining falls away resulting in a bleed from three days to a week." She concluded after lecturing them for some minutes. Both Rin and Haku said nothing they just looked at her. Chihiro shuffled her feet, cursing herself for losing her temper yet again. She sighed and looked up at their disturbed faces. "Now can I please have some bandages?"

"You…you bleed for a week!" Squeaked Rin. "Does it hurt? …Why don't you die?"

"The blood lost is only a small amount," mumbled Chihiro. "There is pain sometimes, similar to a contraction."

"But…but it's disgusting!" cried Rin.

"Rin!" Haku snapped. Rin blushed. "It may seem unnatural to us, but Chihiro is human. We all forget that sometimes." Haku looked at her meaningfully as if she was supposed to read something into what he said.

"Sorry," Rin mumbled.

"It's okay," smiled Chihiro. "It is disgusting, try living with it!" Rin still looked ashamed of herself. Haku held out some snowy white bandages.

"Is this enough?" He asked Chihiro nodded. She still marvelled at his pulling objects out of thin air, even though she knew that was not what he was doing.

"Thank you," she murmured, suddenly embarrassed again.

"No, thank you," He said.

"For what?" she asked. The corner of his mouth quirked up slightly, but apart from that he looked serious.

"For your little speech, it was quite informative." He turned and walked away.

"What was more informative?" Chihiro muttered under her breath. "The reproductive info or seeing me lose my temper?"

"Both I think," said Rin with a gentle sisterly smile. "Remind me to go through with you how we spirits have children." She glanced after Haku. "I think you're going to need to know."

* * *

 


	16. Walking on air

Chihiro helped with the decorations. Rin was a hard woman to work for and she found herself snapping back at her sharp orders. However, her belligerence always seemed to raise a smile from the spirit woman. After an hour or so Rin stopped her.

"You're still recovering, don't push it."

"I'm fine," she said from the top of a ladder. She wanted to finish hanging the lights.

"Come down! Or I'll get Haku to bring you down and spank you!" Chihiro laughed.

"He'd have to catch me first!" But she did come down. "You never know I might like it!" She said in a mock sultry voice. Rin grinned.

"Now run along and play, I've got work to do."

"What am I supposed to do now?" Chihiro half whined.

"Have a look around. This place is huge; even I don't know it all." Chihiro sighed and walked away.

After a while, she became quite excited. She had the whole bathhouse to herself and all sorts of places to explore. She walked to the old disused upper west section, very few came here now. It appealed to her sense of adventure. In truth, most doors were locked or the rooms were empty. It was a little disappointing. She found a few old halls, the floors inches deep in dust. She also found lots of old musty chests, with rotten clothes or linen in them. After an hour of aimless wandering, she was bored and about to turn back. But she stopped to open a white bleached wood door she had missed on the way up another featureless corridor.

The room inside was white, bright white. Even the floorboards were painted white. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the only colour in the room. In the middle of the floor, lying across each other in an X were two black lacquered hair sticks. They had red roses painted on them, and a thin band of what looked like gold leaf about an inch from the thick end. She stepped in and gingerly bent down to pick them up. They were beautiful; the roses looked so lifelike she could almost smell them.

 _"No!"_  Squealed the voice in her head,  _"don't touch them, they are…"_  the voice was cut off, Chihiro frowned. She had always taken the voice to be part of her slightly unstable mind. Now she was beginning to suspect otherwise. It was something to ask Kamaji or Haku about.

This room was magic she knew that now, she could not see it but she could certainly feel it. It was cold and made her shiver; also there was a tang in the air, almost metallic. These hair sticks were magic too, they tingled in her fingers. They felt heavier than they should be. She looked more closely at them. There was an even crack across the gold band on both of them. She slipped one into her waistband and gripped both ends of the other one and pulled. A wicked needle like blade came out of the lower half of the stick, the upper section served as the blades hilt.

"Thorns for a rose," said a deep, throaty female voice. Chihiro was almost afraid to turn around. Magic crackled in the air, wild and untamed, like static but worse. She did turn and saw nothing except white walls.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"No one and everyone," said the voice.

"That's no sort of answer," Chihiro hated riddles.

"If you want better answers, ask better questions," The voice laughed. It made her feel terrified and euphoric all at once.

"Okay," she said steadying her voice. "Why give me these?"

"You will need them, the dragon was right, you can't defend yourself. Ask him to provide you with the means. Your thorns are for you to lash out when you most need to. They will harm both mortal and spirit."

"Thank you," she said stiffly, they were beautiful. She slotted the stick she was holding back together; it joined its twin in her waist band.

"I made them just for you my daughter. The transcendent one needs protection. Your dragon knows this, even if he does not know why. His instincts seem to be as keen as ever," Chihiro's head swum.

"I'm not sure what to do? Why am I here again? Is it all just an accident?"

"Philosophy! Ha! A waste of time, are we all just one big cosmic accident? What nonsense, just be you and everything will be well."

"Why did you call me daughter and transcendent one?"

"It's what you are; you are of two worlds therefore transcendent. You are my daughter because you are of nature, as much as your kind tries to remove yourself from it."

The voice lost it's slightly amused tone.

"I have two messages for you," Chihiro nodded. "First tell the dragon he has a new preoccupation, he must enable you to defend yourself. Second, tell that witch who lives in the swamp to stop medalling; she will not aid my plan by doing so."

"Medalling? Zeniba does not medal."

"Ask her about the talisman that you took in good faith. It's quiet without the voice, isn't it?"

"The voice? That was me, it was just a voice in my head, like you." The woman's voice laughed again.

"No daughter, I am real I just chose not to show myself to you yet." She gave another laugh. "He looks for you now, he senses the strange magic but he is always aware of you within these walls. Give him my message; tell the witch when you see her." The voice took on a more affectionate tone.

"You've had a difficult time getting here and things will not be easy now you're back. Have faith in yourself and your friends and you won't stray far."

Chihiro felt the awesome presence fade away. She felt like weeping in its absence. The white door rattled open. She felt him before she saw him.

 _"It's his magic,"_  she thought.  _"It's familiar to me now; it leaves a taste in the air too, only lighter and smoother then that other spirits."_

He crept into the room a careful step at a time. In one hand he had a dagger, held point down, ready to use. He shifted his weight as if he thought the floor would not hold him, he had moved only a few steps from the doorand seemed unwilling to go further.

"Chihiro," he said in a very calm very clear voice. "Carefully walk over to me, don't run, just walk."

"What's the matter? Why are you so afraid?" The green eyes could have pinned her to the floor with their intensity, she could see the fear in them.

"Just please do as I say." He said it like he was asking her to clean the tubs. She shrugged and moved towards him.

"Okay but I don't see…" He grabbed her hands and pulled her roughly through the door. She yelped in surprise. He did not let go of her in the corridor. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. He touched her cheek and smoothed her hair. He was breathing quickly as if he had run hard. His eyes were wide and full of emotion.

"Haku," she whispered, "what's wrong?" He shook his head unable to speak. She glanced over his shoulder at the open door. There was nothing there, just the sky. There had been a balcony there at one point; she could see the rusty railing jutting from the wall. It had long ago fallen down, leaving a yawning drop of at least a hundred feet.

"But there was a room, I was walking around it, a woman was talking to me!" Haku swallowed and seemed to find his voice.

"Chihiro you were walking on thin air. Linca saw you. When I came in, you were still standing on nothing." He seemed to have calmed somewhat, but he did not seem to be willing to let her go yet. Chihiro decided to let him be, after all, her legs were not so steady now.

"She had a message for you." She said meekly, "that I need to learn to defend myself." Haku's eyes hardened.

"It was a lesson; to show me how easy it would be to trick you. Humans can't see through illusion." He clenched his fists; she could feel powerful muscles tense in his arms and chest. He stepped away from her.

"That was a cruel way of showing me!" He shouted at the ceiling. He sighed and looked back down at her.

"I thought Yubaba had stooped low enough too…never mind, she wouldn't I know that." He appeared really shaken. She moved closer and put a hand on his arm. She was still aware of the tension there, it made her feel a little giddy.

"Haku, I'm sorry, I've brought you nothing but trouble. I'm a bit of a burden I guess." He slid his hand over hers, his eyes burned green fire.

"You are no burden to me, don't say such things." His voice sounded rough. "I thank the old ones every day for allowing your return. It's just your so naive and trusting. I can't watch you all the time…"

"Haku," she interrupted gently "Don't…I'm not your responsibility…"

"But you are!" He protested, "I saved your life once, which means I'm responsible for it." Chihiro sighed, she was obviously not going to win him over and his distress was painful to see. She switched tactics.

"If that's the case then teach me!" she took the dagger from his belt and held it on her palm. "I don't have a clue how to use this except that the pointy end goes into the other person." That raised a slight smile from him. "Teach me and you won't have to look after me so much, not that I need THAT much looking after." He did smile then and took the dagger back from her, returning it to his belt in a smooth, practiced motion.

"I was planning to but just not so soon. However, seeing as I have been instructed to do so, we will start tomorrow. Then you will know a little before you go back to the human world. We can start again on your return."

Chihiro bowed her head.

"Yeah, good idea, I might need to know stuff like that going back to a place I dislike so much." The thought of returning filled her with dread.

"Chihiro," he said softly, "look at me." She did so and suddenly nothing really mattered anymore accept looking into those beautifully expressive eyes.

"I'm going to tell you this only once, if you need me I will come for you. Whether you are in this world, or the other I will come for you." Chihiro suddenly could not really breathe.

"Promise?" she whispered.

"I promise," he replied. Suddenly she was in his embrace. He hugged her tightly; she fitted just under his chin, her head resting on his chest. "Believe what I say. I don't want you to go but this is the right thing to do." She nodded against him and let him hold her for a moment before gently pulling away from him.

"I believe you," she said her voice a little shaky. Her nostrils were still full of his scent and her knees threatened to buckle. She took a deep breath, desperately trying to order her thoughts.

"And I'd just like to say likewise, I'd come from my own grave if you needed me to." He grinned then and the worry cleared from his face.

"I'm sure you would," He said.

"Chi?" Linca stood behind her. Linca gave a sigh of relief to see her and then started shouting.

"You stupid, idiotic fool! I nearly fainted with fright seeing you walking around on nothing. Tell me, where did you learn to fly? Because you seemed not to care if you fell!"

"Linca," Chihiro held up her hands. "It was an illusion I did not see the drop."

"Well, now I see Haku's point! You should go home!" Linca hugged herself, blue lip trembling. She was like a frightened child.

"O,h Linca!" cried Chihiro and hugged her. "I did not mean to scare you. I just apologised to Haku as well." She glanced over her shoulder but Haku was gone. She sighed. Linca sobbed a bit, but after a few sniffs she seemed to return to normal.

"Don't do stuff like that to me Chi. I've never had a sister before I don't want to lose you now."

"Sister?" Chihiro was bewildered. Linca wrung her hands nervously.

"Well seeing as you were going to bond to this world I thought that maybe…well…you know I could be your sister… you know when it's all done. That way you could have family here as well as in the human world." Chihiro was touched.

"I…I would be honoured." Linca danced on her toes.

"O,h that's wonderful!" she clapped her hands. "Now will you take some sisterly advice?"

"Depends on the advice," said Chihiro.

"Kiss that dragon and put him out of his misery."

"What are you talking about Linca?"

"He's desperate to kiss you; I can see it in his eyes. But I bet that you see him as just a friend. You really have no confidence! Has it ever occurred to you that he might have an interest in you? It was the same at university! Men fell at your feet and you didn't notice."

"Shut up Linca!" Chihiro laughed, "Your talking nonsense, except this time you're not drunk."

"Seriously, when you get back he will try something, mark my words."

"Stop teasing me…"

* * *

The voices faded away and Haku watched the two women head for the elevator. The land spirit was quite astute. Had he been that transparent? He had been in turmoil since she had returned Chihiro to him. Chihiro had become more beautiful than he could possibly believe. Yet she was Human, not only that but fragile in spite of all her stubbornness. He had not heard her story yet and would not ask her to tell it. She would tell him when she was ready. However, he had gathered that she had been far from happy. Now she seemed to be coming back to herself and he had no intention of complicating things for her. Nonetheless, over the last few days he had been making excuses to see her, and thinking of a million reasons to touch her. Like yesterday, when he had pretended to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, just so he could trail his fingers along the achingly soft skin of her cheek.

His dreams had been troubling him also, but not with images of her crying in the dark. No these were a torment of a different order. He had dreamt of her sitting in his study, curled up in his chair reading a book. When she saw him she had stood, greeted him with a kiss and told him everything about her day. All he had really wanted to do was hold her, but he had listened anyway. Another was of her asleep on the same chair and he had picked her up and carried her to bed. There were numerous others, some were charmingly domestic others were not fit even to think about, but think about them he did. He sniffed the air savouring her lingering sent.

"I'm pathetic" he sighed to the shadows. 


	17. Lessons in Love

The next day Chihiro was reading in her sitting room when Linca burst in.

"What are you doing here? You are late!"

"No, I'm not!" Protested Chihiro, "I've still got an hour till my lesson."

"Then why are Haku and Rin waiting for you in hall three?" Chihiro put down her book.

"Okay, I'll go, but he told me after lunch."

She wandered down the corridors and only had to ask for directions once. The door to the hall was shut; she thought nothing of this, just opened it and walked in. She stopped dead in her tracks. There were red teak pillars surrounding the highly ornate room. She hid behind the nearest one on her left. It was an intrusion, she knew it was, but somehow she could not help but watch. Haku was practising. The sword he was using was a strange matt grey colour. It seemed to absorb the light rather than reflect it. It whirled around him as he tried different guard positions and practised footwork. Chihiro knew nothing about fencing and swordplay but what he was doing looked good to her. In truth, it was not the expert demonstration that fascinated her. She was ashamed of herself but she was watching his body. He had taken his tunic and shirt off and he was sweating. His greenish hair was slick with it and strands stuck to his face. His torso was lean but muscled, his shoulders were broad. His skin was the same pale colour as his face; it was disturbing in its perfection, not a scar or blemish anywhere. Lithe was the word that popped into her head.

She was so absorbed in her spying that she did not notice the slight smile cross his face or the knowing look in his eyes. All of a sudden he whipped around towards her and in a movement too quick for her to see the sword flew at her and embedded itself in the pillar she hid behind. She squeaked and jumped into the open.

"You're early," he hissed, He was still breathing hard, green eyes narrowed at her.

"Linca told me you were waiting for me." She blurted out; her voice was high and unsteady. She was going to kill that sprite.

 _"Calm down,"_ she told herself.  _"Get back in control of yourself. Anybody would think you had never seen a bare chest before, no matter how masculine…and muscled this one is…NO STOP IT!"_  she straightened up and folded her arms.

"I'm sorry I spied, but I did not wish to disturb you." She arched her eyebrows "I trust I get to keep my clothes on when I practice."

He laughed good-naturedly.

"I don't know, maybe it would aid your fencing, besides I want a turn to stare." Chihiro blushed lightly.

"Sorry about that." She mumbled and tried not to show how embarrassed she was, "But staring is a ladies prerogative." Haku grinned and threw a wooden staff at her which she caught.

"Ladies don't learn to hit people." He twirled his heavy staff. "We start with the staff to build on your reflexes before you handle a more dangerous weapon." He yanked his sword out of the pillar with such ease it may as well have been stuck in butter.

"This is a ShinSakuto." He held the sword out for her inspection. The grey metal winked at her menacingly, it looked like a standard Japanese sword to her. Long, curved and sharp down one side. "It has an itame with mokume forging pattern." Haku continued excitedly. "The tempering pattern is midare in nie style, the blade is 29 inches long the nakago is 8 inches. The mountings are shirasays style. It took me 2 years to forge." It sounded like nonsense to Chihiro, but she knew from her father's obsession with classic motorcycles that males glorified in pointless details, and over complex terms. However, she had no wish to offend him.

"It's fantastic," she said. He smiled down at her seeing through her subterfuge.

"It may not seem like much now, just a pointy bit of metal. As you progress you will appreciate such things." He sheathed the sword and pulled his tunic back on with a crooked grin. "Never touch it, this sword is designed for me, the magic in it will turn on anyone else trying to handle it."

She nodded not doubting him.

"Now," he said all business. "Let's see if we can apply our minds to some stances." He showed her the stances and she had to copy. When she stumbled or held the staff incorrectly he would tap the end of her staff with his, making the wood vibrate painfully in her hands. She persevered however and did not lose her temper, mainly because his criticism was gentle and he gave her much encouragement. He stopped her when Rin came in. She was sweating profusely and was red in the face.

"Well," said Rin strolling over to them, "I see you've started without me."

"She's been doing very well," said Haku.

"We will see, you never pushed me hard enough when you taught me." Chihiro was a little put out by that.

 _"Why?"_  She thought  _"he can teach anyone he likes and Rin's my friend."_  She expected the voice to chime in but it did not, all was quiet. In a funny kind of way she missed arguing with it, Haku smiled.

"Well, I shall leave you two to it. I have to get everything ready for tonight." He turned his beautiful eyes on Chihiro. "Do you have everything you need?" He asked.

"Of course she does," Snapped Rin. "You've spent a fortune on her and if there is anything else she wants, Linca and I can sort it. Now get out!" Rin practically shoved Haku out of the hall.

"Now," she said rubbing her hands. "Let's get some REAL work done."

After an hour of Rin's relentless shouting and snapping Chihiro realised just how easy Haku had been on her. Rin eventually called a halt. Chihiro felt so wobbly that she nearly fell over.

"You are passable for a new start." Said Rin thoughtfully, "I may be able to teach you something." She passed a towel and some water to Chihiro. "If you want fancy sword tricks, train with the dragon. If you want to drop someone so they don't get up, train with me." She was giving Chihiro a difficult choice.

"Why can't I train with both of you?" she asked.

"It's more productive for you to have one teacher. People have different styles of fighting; Haku and I agree that two teachers would just confuse you." Rin saw the indecision on the humans face and said. "You don't have to decide now, think about it when you come back. Personally, I don't think you have the physique for the sword, you need a stealthier weapon, like knives."

"What if the person I'm fighting has a sword?" asked Chihiro.

"I'll teach you a few tricks that would drop any swordsman." She winked at Chihiro. "And they are dirty too." Chihiro rolled her eyes, she expected nothing less. "Seriously," said Rin, "You are light on your feet, you could dance rings around any axe or sword fighter. If they can't hit you they can't hurt you." Chihiro chuckled.

"Are you trying to bias my decision?"

"When I'm up against that dragon, certainly I am! He's one of the best sword fighters you'll ever meet."

"I think I should just let you fight and then decide," Said Chihiro jokingly.

"Oh yes!" Said Rin, eyes shining, "he has not accepted one of my challenges yet, he really is no fun."

"I'll make you a promise Rin. When I'm good enough I'll fight you."

"Deal!" Rin shook her hand. "Now let's go, Lincas got the whole afternoon planned, and if you are not there to help me through it, I may kill myself."

They wondered from the room. Chihiro wiped her for head again. Rin was unusually quiet.

"What's the matter?" asked Chihiro.

"Nothing… I… Linca told me about you becoming family."

"That's right." Replied Chihiro, "I've known her over a year, we get on really well, she is lonely, and I love her."

"Well that's very noble of you, but are you sure you're not feeling guilty because you are leaving your own family?" Chihiro stopped; she was a little insulted but considered the question.

"I don't think so; I never had any siblings, so I'm not leaving any behind. I'm sure I can get messages to my parents on occasion. Haku said he could do that. I just won't see them again unless they came to me."

"I doubt they would do that Sen." Said Rin. "They don't believe and so won't come." Chihiro nodded.

"I know but I'll tell them about it anyway." Rin was silent for a moment and then blurted out.

"I can't believe you chose her as a sister and not me! I'm more sensible, not as much fun perhaps but I love you as much as she does." Chihiro stammered.

"I… well… I did not think you wanted anything like that." Rin pouted.

"I may be rough around the edges but I can still feel." She walked with Chihiro to the elevator and pulled the lever. You remember that day when Zeniba nearly killed Haku, because he stole something from her for Yubaba?" Chihiro winced at the memory, there had been so much blood. Haku was acting like a hurt animal, snapping and growling at her efforts to help him. Instead of worrying about lost fingers she had been terrified of losing him. All for a tiny gold seal.

"I remember," she said quietly. "Well, Kamaji said something to me that day. He said I would not recognise love when I saw it." Chihiro immediately wanted to deny everything and tell Rin that she and Haku were just friends, but remembering Lincas words about an innocent bond of love between child and spirit, she bit her tongue. "Well, I realised he was right." Continued Rin, "I cared for nothing and nobody. I could not afford to, that would mean remembering what I'd lost." Chihiro said nothing, this all sounded very familiar. "Then you went away and Haku left, I was so lonely…" to Chihiro's astonishment Rin was crying. She gave the woman a big hug and let her cry.

She led Rin into the lift that had just arrived, it was empty of other passengers. Rin's sobs died down.

"Anyway," she sniffed, "Haku came back and I kind of got to know him better. He scares me, but we are friends I think." She smiled, "it was nice to talk to someone who might understand what I had lost."

"What had you lost?" Chihiro asked gently.

"My name, my past. I can't even remember why I came here. I look back and all I see are black holes of nothingness. I know I was once more that just Rin. I think once I had a child." Chihiro closed her eyes feeling Rin's pain. "I don't know how I know, but I just do. Why would I do that? Why would I abandon my child? Or did it die, is that why I came here?" Rin shook her head. "I have no way of terminating my contract. Haku has tried but it's all perfectly legal. I signed it of my own free will." Chihiro finally found her voice.

"Rin, if I could help…" she trailed off.

"I know" she smiled sadly, "you would if you could. But you're only human, even if you are a nice one that does not smell too much." Rin sighed and shook her head. "I did not mean to burden you with this; all I was trying to say is that I do feel. I do know what love and friendship is, even if I don't show it. I'm afraid of getting hurt, that's all." Chihiro smiled and then said.

"Who says I can't have two new sisters?" Rin's sad brown eyes lit up. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as if trying to say something but the words were failing her. In the end, she said very quietly.

"That would be wonderful."

"There is one snag, it means you'll be related to Linca." Rin laughed.

"I'll cope." They hugged again and then a voice said.

"Is this a private hug, or can anyone join?" The lift had stopped and opened, neither Rin or Chihiro had noticed. Linca stood there, white eyes fixed on them both, hands on hips looking contrary. "Since we are all going to be happy families once the smelly human is bonded then I think we need to practice." Chihiro and Rin both held out an arm and Linca snuggled among them. None of them said anything for a moment, then Linca wriggled free wiping her eyes. "Enough of this nonsense." She croaked, "We have a ball to get ready for ladies. The bath water is getting cold, let's get a move on." She clapped her hands and Yuna bath attendants appeared from Chihiro's room holding fluffy white bath robes. Rin backed into the elevator and made a dash for the lever but Chihiro grabbed her hands.

"If I have to suffer then you do to, that's what family is all about." Rin pulled a face and Linca pouted unattractively. Chihiro took a robe and gave a big sigh. "Well let's get this over with." And marched into her room with her two sisters to be trailing behind her.


	18. Lord of the dance

The dress fitted like a glove, her hair was perfect, her make-up flawless. Then why did she feel so nervous? She wrung her hands and plucked at the winking crystals on her exquisite gown.

"Stop it!" hissed Linca, "You look fantastic. Now hold your head high and show them what mortals are made of!"

The grand doors opened and a frog stepped forward to announce them.

"Linca you of all people should know that parties and I don't mix," whispered Chihiro.

"This one is different. Trust me Chi." Linca shimmered in her snow white dress, the colour brought out the blue tint in her skin. She really did look like a spirit and not Chihiro's friend from university. The change was slightly disturbing. The effect was ruined however when Linca gave Chihiro a huge comical wink.

"As I said before, this is a new chapter; Cinderella will not be dragged from the arms of prince charming tonight!"

"Linca," Chihiro sighed. "As I have told you before, there is nothing going on…"

" **The human Ogino Chihiro and Linca white owl of Pripait**." Called the frog pompously. Linca took her arm.

"Head up and shoulders back. Now walk like you have a crown on your head." Chihiro did straighten up but refused to go so far as crowning herself.

They walked down the main staircase which descended into the great hall. The floor was polished to a mirror shine. There was an orchestra and a large balcony through some huge glass doors. People were gathered around the stairs and everyone was looking at the new arrivals. Chihiro studied the upturned faces nervously. She saw Yubaba first and then to her great surprise Zeniba at the opposite end of the hall. Other faces stood out, Bou, Kamaji, Rin and about a dozen others that she knew to look at.

"If you are looking for tall green and handsome he is not here yet," muttered Linca from the side of her mouth. Chihiro said nothing.

Once out on the floor, the fight for partners began. It was all very civilised, comparing of dance cards etc, but in the space of ten minutes, all of Chihiro's friends had their names down. To Chihiro's surprise partners could be the same sex as well as mixed, so Linca and Rin had their names on her card. Her card was full when she heard.

"Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi!" She was too far away to see him clearly but the person descending the stairs was definitely him. No one had that colour of hair, or moved in that confident, graceful way.

" _Even his walk is arrogant!"_  she thought. He disappeared into the crowd. Soon the music started and Chihiro was claimed by Rin. The Music had a traditional feel to it and a syncopated rhythm. Chihiro could not identify half the instruments being played and some of the musicians seemed to be playing parts of themselves. She and Rin bowed and Rin talked her through a courtly, repetitive dance that was easy to master. After three or four of these dances, with various partners, she was claimed by Kamaji. The ancient looking spirit used all six arms to lead her through a wild, loose dance, more like a jig than anything else. She danced the Fujimusume with Linca. This was a dance she knew to her surprise, though by a different name and to different music. She had not attempted it since childhood. It was an elegant dance with fans. Linca seemed to take great delight in showing Chihiro how graceful she was compared to a human. Chihiro just laughed off her comparative clumsiness. She had always found dancing a bit of a trial.

She had not seen Haku, though she had thought she had caught fleeting glimpses of him. Once or twice she had felt the hairs rise on her arms and neck as if she was being closely watched; she never caught anyone looking at her. Bou grabbed her for the next waltz-like dance. She was starting to tire a little. All these graceful spirits sailing around her were making her feel like a lump of lead. Bou's dancing did much to improve her mood. The toddler ambled along and giggled maniacally. As she was completing a turn she saw him.

He was dancing with Rin, who seemed a little uncomfortable in her blue silk Kimono. He turned and saw her, he did not smile he just looked at her. Time seemed to slow for a moment as she was caught in his emerald gaze. Then Bou pulled her back towards him and she lost him among the throng of dancers. Her throat was tight and her heart seemed to be trying to claw out of her chest. If a male could ever be said to be so, he was beautiful. Dressed in dark blue loose trousers and a loose, high necked, lavishly embroidered jacket. He really did look every inch the river god. Suddenly dancing with him seemed a far more daunting prospect than it had been a moment ago.

Everyone stopped for a break. Rivers of snow-berry wine and other libations were placed in the staff's hands. Chihiro saw Haku across the room; she started making her way toward him.

" _A nice friendly chat will soothe my nerves a bit. It's just Haku, why should I be afraid to dance with him?"_ She thought. While pushing through the crowd she heard.

"Chihiro darling!" She turned to see Zeniba bustling her considerable bulk through the crowd to catch up with her. She glanced back to Haku, he was gone.

"How do you like the festival so far?" Asked the witch.

"It's lovely," replied Chihiro then she put her head on one side. "Actually I'm surprised to see you here Granny." Zeniba laughed.

"Yes, I'm sure you are! Bou asked me to drop by. I'm not staying much longer my sister has ignored me so far, but soon she may explode!" Chihiro smiled, the witch took her arm with a gnarled, papery hand. She looked seriously into the young woman's face. "My dear, do you still have the charm I gave you?" Chihiro held up her right hand. The purple band winked at the witch. "Well, that is odd," Zeniba muttered and frowned to herself. Then she glanced back at Chihiro. "You may think this a strange question but… has anyone given you anything… you know, magical recently…I know it seems crazy but…" Zeniba was floundering and trailed off miserably as Chihiro's hazel eyes hardened.

"I took this charm in good faith Granny," she said icily. "And you used your magic on me through it." Zeniba winced, Chihiro continued despite the old witch's discomfort. "Two days ago I walked on air and a Lady talked to me in my mind. This Lady had awesome power and asked me to deliver a message to you, I'm not about to go against one such as she." Zeniba paled and seemed afraid. "She said to tell you that you should not meddle in her affairs anymore." Zeniba sighed and nodded she said nothing for some time, as if ordering her thoughts. Finally, she said in a small voice…

"To speak with the old ones is an honour bestowed on few. When I said that destiny has her hand on you I meant it literally. Your time here will not be easy Chihiro, not with our Gods deciding your fate." Chihiro was shaken; she had thought the woman's voice was that of a slightly mischievous but very powerful spirit. Haku must have stepped on plenty of toes in his time. She had thought the prank designed to rattle him and had little to do with her. If that was the case, however, why was she given the hair sticks she now wore?

" _I'll deal with this later. It changes nothing at present."_  She thought furiously, she was angry at being manipulated at every turn.

"Well, they have made my life no more difficult than you have Granny." She spat, and then she stamped her foot childishly. "Why?" She whimpered. "Why make me think I had voices in my head? Why make me punch Scott? Why mess with my chance to be accepted in my own world?" Her lovely eyes were full of hurt, she had trusted Zeniba completely.

"I had my reasons." Chihiro's look could have roasted Zeniba. "I could not allow you to forget this place." Said the witch quickly. "I used the hair tie to give you gentle reminders and to…" she paused struggling "…to isolate you from your own people…who may connect you back…with…to your own world." Chihiro sighed, the witches distress was starting to get to her.

"Do you think, for one minute I would forget this place?" She said more gently.

"Yes, with all the pressure you were under you would have been broken, spirit crushed, you would have convinced yourself it was all a fiction."

"You still have not told me why." Grumbled Chihiro.

"I wish I could dear, really I do, but let's just say I needed you to find your way back one day. You belong here." Chihiro felt her indignation melt. The witch seemed so upset; she could not stay angry at her.

"I don't like being a pawn Granny." She mumbled, Zeniba smiled.

"Your not a pawn Chihiro, you a queen, the dragon, myself and the old ones know this. Luckily for you, my sister still sees you as a mildly annoying human." Zeniba moved back into the crowd. "Take care my dear!" she called.

The music started again and Chihiro was partnered by the frog foreman, (much to her dislike.) Then Bee-la grabbed her. The air spirit just hovered and Chihiro was forced to lead, but it was all fun. The second last dance came. Chihiro noticed that the sun had finally set and that the hall had emptied somewhat. Many staff seemed to have left with the setting sun. The music continued but there was no sign of Haku. She felt very let down. She had geared herself up for these dances with him and now she was left hanging. She saw Linca wrapped around a fire spirit and smiled. At least someone was enjoying themselves. The music stopped and everyone left the floor. Chihiro bit her lip. Had he gone? Had she done something to offend him? Couples were drifting back to the floor for the last dance.

"I'm sorry." A voice breathed in her ear. She turned and there he was, right behind her. She had not even heard him approach her. She went to say something, but he placed a finger to her lips and shook his head almost imperceptibly. He took her arm and led her to the dance floor.

The music was slow, almost mournful. He let go of her and stood a foot away from her and bowed. She looked at the other couples. They were dancing complex steps around each other. Seeing the confused look on her face Haku stepped forward. He placed his fingers lightly on her forehead.

" _This dance is called the Manatsubi, it's traditional to finish the solstice."_  Said his voice softly in her head. All the information on how to perform the dance suddenly flooded her mind. He removed his hand and started to move. She followed him, the steps coming naturally, her heart hammered in her chest. The dance represented the victory of the sun at the high of its power, but also it's impending death with the coming of winter. It was like a battle set to music, partners circled each other, one sometimes advancing and the other retreating only for the situation to be reversed. They did not touch. It was a beautiful dance, but what was even more beautiful was watching Haku dance it. He did not say a word; his steps were precise and graceful. His exquisite eyes never left her face once and she did not look away from him, even though the intensity of his gaze was enough to make her blush. Her feet seemed to move without having to ask her brain. She skipped lightly through the intricate steps and felt the throb of the beat matching her racing pulse.

All of a sudden the music stopped and he was bowing to her again. She looked around, blinking as if waking from a wonderful dream. Everyone was watching them, they had been surrounded by onlookers; no one else seemed to have finished the dance. She saw Linca, still clinging to her fire spirit. Her white eyes were shining and her smile was sad, like she was going to cry. Haku closed the carefully preserved gap between them and took her hands. She shivered at the sudden contact.

"Come." He said soothingly, "let's leave our adoring public and get some fresh air."


	19. A midsummer's night

They moved out onto the balcony and sat together on a stone bench with a modest distance between them. Chihiro looked at the sky; she recognised none of the constellations.

"This sky must look very alien to you." Said Haku gently.

"I can learn to appreciate it I'm sure." She smiled at him.

"Will you miss your world do you think?" He was looking at her earnestly.

"I will a little," She mumbled looking at the ground. "But ever since I came here I've always thought of it as the human world, not my world."

"Do you really hate your race that much?" She was startled by the question and then realised he did not truly understand her reasons for staying.

"I don't hate my own race." She was trying to be serious but could not help smiling. "True as a race we pollute our world, kill ourselves in the millions and create devastation wherever we go." Haku nodded his face still serious, not picking up on her sarcasm.

"That would be the view of most here, but you are nothing like that."

"No I'm not and neither are millions of other people. Believe me, I could easily hate everyone in the human world for what they have done to you or what they did to Linca. That alone would be reason enough to leave everyone behind." She was solemn now the humour she had found in the conversation had vanished. "The truth is we are ignorant as a species. We harm you and your world without even knowing it." There was silence for a moment. Haku could tell Chihiro was brooding on the subject and feeling in some way ashamed of the mistakes of an entire people. Her pretty face was stern and her brown eyes were far away.

"Spirits are not blameless either." He said suddenly. "Ever since humans appeared some of us have killed and tortured you on a regular basis, just for fun." Chihiro shook her head.

"I don't believe that." Haku raised one eyebrow.

"Ever heard of the Bermuda triangle?" Chihiro's eyes widened. "There is a water spirit there who has a liking for human flesh." Chihiro frowned and was quiet for a moment, and then she said…

"So we are about as bad as each other." Haku nodded.

"Yes we are, but since meeting you I now have more hope in the future of the human race than I did." Chihiro blushed lightly.

"You'll make me big-headed." She mumbled.

They were quiet again. Chihiro listened to the crickets and the other strange night sounds she did not yet recognise. It was a gorgeously balmy summer night; she felt like she was breathing in the scent of a thousand different flowers, their musk was making her sleepy. She dabbed at her brow. She was perspiring slightly in the silk dress.

"Why do you want to stay?" Haku blurted out the question in such a way she guessed he had not really meant to ask it. She looked up at him and smiled gently.

"I want to stay because this is my home. The restless part of me feels at peace here. I was always looking for something in the human world and never finding it. Also, I could not forget about you all, even though I tried, you were all branded into my memory." He glanced at the band on her wrist.

"You may want to speak to Zeniba about that." To his surprise, she laughed.

"I already have, I know what she did, but whether she interfered or not I still would have never forgotten you." She gave him a motherly look and took his hands.

"It's sweet of you to worry about me, but I'm fine, really." He sighed and glanced at the floor, his hair fell to hide his face.

"Please don't think I'm not grateful for what you did for me ten years ago." He looked at her again, "or that I'm not glad to see you now." He squeezed her hands, "but I would be no sort of friend if I did not worry about your safety or about your motives for staying."

"I'm staying because I love this place and the people in it." She said simply. He still looked conflicted.

"It's just that… in two month's time. After you've returned and lived here for a while… You will realise the full implications of what you have done… I could not bear to see you miserable again." He looked up to the night sky; his hair seemed more black then green in the moonlight.

"I had dreams Chihiro," he said softly. "Terrible dreams of you, I told you that but…" he trailed off and sighed. "I just want you to be happy and not see you in a state like that again, ever." Chihiro felt some of the heaviness of the past pull at her again.

"Do you know why I was crying?" She asked, he shook his head.

"It was because they would not believe me."

All of a sudden her story poured forth, she told him everything, spared him no detail. She did not know at what point she started crying but she managed to continue on through the sobs. Haku just held her hands and listened. She did not see the pain or the anger flash in his eyes. Her own were too blurred to see much at all. Eventually, she came to the end.

"And then you wanted to send me back, so I ran. I just could not face living a lie again. Tomorrow I do have to go back, to tell my parents that unless they come here, they will never see me again. I don't know why, but I know something will go wrong. I… I really don't know what I would do if I could not get home again." She took a few deep shuddering breaths, trying to get back in control. The hurt was too raw, however, too fresh still. Her fears were real now, this place was real, and it could easily be snatched from her again.

She gave up on trying to control herself and continued to cry, head down, unable to look at him.

Carefully Haku removed his hands from hers.

 _"What must he think of me?"_  She thought, " _I feel so embarrassed and ashamed for behaving like this. I had to tell him though; he had a right to hear it all. Now he will see me as just a weak feeble mortal."_  Haku moved closer to her, however. She was surprised when she felt warm strong arms around her shoulder and back. He gently drew her to him, giving her plenty of time to object or pull away. Cradled in his arms, she cried all the harder, wetting his elegant jacket. She buried her face in his shoulder. He just held her tighter and rocked her back and forwards like she was a child. He stroked her hair and whispered soothingly to her.

"Hush… Hush little one… all will be well, you will see." How long she cried for she did not know. Eventually, the tears dried up and she was left with dry sobs and a feeling of such hurt it threatened to tear her apart. Only his arms held her together.

He started speaking some words in a language she did not understand. She grew still to listen, it was enchanting, whatever it was. The words fell like rain on her heart, washing away the pain. He slowly sat her back up again and wiped her face with his sleeve. She glanced at him shyly.

"Don't do that." He said, "Don't be ashamed, you needed to tell me your story." She nodded but still looked forlorn.

 _"She is like a lost child."_ He thought.

"Chihiro I know you don't want to go back but it must be done." She nodded again. "I have a gift for you, but I will give it to you tomorrow before you leave." He touched her face making her look at him. "I will give you all my protection and then some if Linca and Rin have anything to do with it. You will have so many spells on you when you leave I would not be surprised if you started to glow." She did smile then.

"Trust us; we won't fail you this time."

"You did not fail me." She said her voice still throaty from crying. "You never actually promised to come and get me, just that we would see each other again. You kept your promise." He said nothing. "And you really are spoiling me with all these gifts." She gestured to the dress.

"Its gold well spent if it makes you happy." He smiled, "besides the gift, you will get tomorrow is something I made myself." Chihiro was intrigued despite herself. She rubbed at her eyes, embarrassed at how red and puffy her face must be and also how smudged her makeup must look. She was also bone weary. She stood stiffly and gave him a low respectful bow.

"Thank you for the wonderful dance and the shoulder to cry on."

"Anytime," he replied. She made to walk away but stopped at the balcony door.

"Why did you miss the other dance with me?" She asked suddenly.

"Ah, I was cornered by Yubaba." He replied evasively. She nodded and left.

* * *

Haku looked at the sky again, thinking. A snowy owl flapped down onto the balcony. It regarded him with icy white eyes and suddenly melted into a feminine, human-like form. Haku ignored Linca disliking her spying.

"Are you really going to let her go dragon?" She asked.

"I have to, it's what's right," He replied coolly. Linca plonked herself down on the seat next to him.

"You love her don't you." It was a statement, not a question. Haku just glared at her but remained silent. "Don't ignore me; you lied to her just now. You weren't talking to Yubaba, you were watching her, too nervous to dance with her. That was until you saw her lip tremble a bit and then you melted. Rin and I were not impressed you left her standing there like that."

"What are you her Bodyguards?" He snapped.

"Yes we are, she will be our sister and every potential partner must be vetted." She took his face in her small hands and forced his head down to look at her. "What are your intentions towards our sister?"

"Leave me alone!" he growled dangerously.

"Oh drop the act. It does not wash with me." She poked him in the stomach. "You love her, I can tell, it was obvious when you were dancing with her. It was like you were the only two dancers in the world." She gave him a wistful look. "And now you are like a bear with a sore head because she is leaving, and there is a chance, no matter how small, that she may decide to stay there." Haku gave her a blank look. "Tell her dragon, tell her before she goes."

"I can't," he whispered. "If you where eavesdropping you saw how fragile she is at the moment. You of all people know how much she has been through. She needs time to heal old wounds. I will not add to her burdens."

"You really think such a thing would be a burden to her?" Asked Linca, "It could be the balm she needs."

"What does a minor land spirit know of such things?" He hissed. Lincas white eyes turned as chilly as the Russian winter.

Don't underestimate me dragon, I have loved more deeply than a lizard-like yourself could ever dream. He was mortal, now his bones are dust, but I remember and I grieve." Haku swallowed and lowered his eyes.

Linca stood.

"That's what your really afraid of isn't it? To let yourself fall for a mortal. Someone who will grow old and die." Linca gave him a sympathetic look.

"It's not an easy thing to do, to love a mortal tears at your heart, because in the end, you know you will be without them." she bent down and kissed his cheek.

"If I could go back I would never change my decision, even though I'm still in love with a man who died 300 years ago. If you think you are strong enough to stand the pain the rewards are endless. Humans have a boundless capacity for love." She moved to the doors. "You have my approval as Chihiro's future sister; I think you would be good for her. But I don't think you're going to tell her are you?" He shook his head. "If that is what you wish." She sighed, "Such things have a way of getting to you Haku, and you can't fight them. It's like quicksand, the more you wriggle the deeper you sink." Linca left Haku more confused than he had been when Chihiro had burst into tears.

"Why is nothing simple any more?" He complained and followed Linca off the balcony.

He caught up with her in the now empty hall.

"I want to apologise." Linca held up her hand.

"There really is no need."

"Yes, there is, for offending you and for reading your mind."

"Ah… well… apology excepted." she smiled.

"You may be quick to forgive me but I'm not, it was wrong and I want to make it up to you." Linca was put a little off balance and for once could think of nothing to say. "I want to hire you, contract-free of course, as a staff liaison. I want you to listen to their grievances and settle their disputes. I believe you to be very wise and full of no-nonsense common sense. You are just what I need. Many of the staff are afraid of me, but you are obviously not. I need you as my go-between." Lincas eyes were wide with shock.

"You offer me all this without a contract?"

"Yes," he replied "besides Chihiro would never forgive me if you left to find work elsewhere." Linca smiled.

"She will come back you know." She said gently, he nodded.

"With the Lady talking to her I don't doubt that, but I fear what they want her for."

"Trust her," said Linca, "she is not as fragile as she seems. The human spirit is a thing of great power, you will learn this. For example, she never feared you and taught us to see you as Haku and not some powerful God." Haku blinked, taking her words in.

"She told us that a river in flood causes damage, but she is not going to worry about that on a summer's day." Haku smiled, liking the analogy. Linca patted his arm. "I accept your offer gladly, but can I ask you to hire Chihiro too? She will need a purpose to stay here." Haku gave her a sly smile. Linca placed her hands on her hips. "What are you up to dragon?" She demanded.

"Let's just say I've taken care of that." He grinned again. "I just have to persuade her."


	20. Parting is such sweet sorrow

It was nearly was so worked up that she felt she could spring apart at any moment.

 _"What will I say to convince them? I've been gone for two weeks, will they even Listen?"_  She nibbled at her nails. Last night she had slept better than she had in years. She had woken to a feeling of complete contentment. Then the dread pressed down on her.

"It's just for a few days Chi." Linca's voice cut through her musings. The spirit woman patted her arm. "You're acting like its forever." Linca looked deeply concerned.

"I just have this terrible feeling that it's all going to go wrong. It's really strong." Linca eyed her suspiciously.

"Are you having a premonition?"

"What?" Chihiro left her brooding for a moment.

"A premonition, with all the stray magic knocking about this place, people can develop powers they never had before."

"But I'm mortal." Said Chihiro.

"That makes no difference; things don't work to set rules here Chihiro. There is nothing like the laws of physics or nature that you find back in the Human world. You will see many examples of this if… when you come back." Chihiro smiled at Lincas slip up.

"I will come back. If I have to drag my broken and bleeding body over that border I will do it."

Just then the door to her room opened. Rin popped her head in. Her face looked pale and drawn. Her dark brown eyes had shadows beneath them.

"It's time Chihiro." She whispered. Chihiro smiled at the spirit woman.

"It must be if you've started calling me Chihiro instead of Sen." Rin tried to smile back but ended up just shaking her head and closing the door. Chihiro stood; it felt strange to be in her old clothes again. The purple skirt felt almost abrasive against her legs, the man-made fibres irritating her skin slightly. It was also a little tight; two weeks of good food had filled her thin frame out a little, and put a healthy blush back into her cheeks. Her parents would hardly recognise her for the pale, thin, haunted-looking young woman they had seen but two weeks ago. She turned to Linca.

"Shall we?" Linca looked up at her with shining white eyes. Her delicate blue lips trembled. "No tears now." Said Chihiro, "I'm not going to my death. It's just a short visit, like you said."

Linca and Chihiro walked in silence through the bathhouse and across the bridge. A little crowd had gathered at the far end of it. As she passed there were shouts of.

"Good luck!" and "Come back soon." And one joker bellowed. "Don't get too smelly while you're there!" At the end of the bridge was Kamaji. She hugged him hard.

"You must come back soon Sen, Bee-la and I think you have a gift for making infusions. We could employ you if you wanted. Anyway come back to us and we will see." Bou was weeping when Chihiro hugged him.

"But I won't have anyone to play with!" He yowled.

When she got to Rin she felt really ragged but managed to keep a hold on herself.

"You come back to us or I'll come and get you myself!" She declared her voice wobbling.

"I fully intend to Rin." She replied, her voice also unsteady.

"We are going to be family; you will be the only family I have. Or rather the only family I remember," she whispered and touched Chihiro's head.

"Blood, bone, muscles, sinew, I give you my strength so you may continue. Endure more than you ever could, Work harder than perhaps you should." Rin chanted. Chihiro felt a rush of heat flow into her body.

"That's the best I can do." Rin sighed looking fatigued. "It will keep you strong and your reflexes sharp; even when you feel exhausted." Chihiro Hugged her. "For the Ladies sake, take care and remember your defence lesson."

She stepped back and Linca stood before her.

 _"This is too hard!"_  Her mind wailed, she looked at Rin who was wiping at red-rimmed eyes, to the short, ash blond, blue-skinned spirit before her. Linca also touched her head.

"Blood clot, bone knit, skin heal and scab. Injuries heal with aid of my strength, confuse and drive your enemies mad." Chihiro felt ice in her bones, strengthening and protecting.

"This will protect you from injury somewhat. Blades won't bounce off you but will inflict less harm than they would, and you will heal more quickly. You'll also be harder to hit in the first place." She grinned, "Sorry for the corny rhyme I'm a traditionalist when it comes to spell casting. The words don't really matter but it helps me focus." Linca just stood for a moment.

"Come back to us dear sister, we can't enjoy our immortality without you. You're like a beautiful bird that has brightened our dull lives and now you're flying away from us." Linca was crying now.

"Now who is being a philosopher?" Said Chihiro and smiled.

"You only like me because I'm mortal. Ever heard that the star that burns twice as bright burns half as long?" Linca wiped her nose and shrugged.

"So, you will supernova one day. We who burn forever will remember you. Is that not a form of immortality?" Chihiro Laughed in spite of the sadness clawing at her heart.

"All we need now is the Vodka and it would be just like old times! You and me talking nonsense into the small hours when we should be studying." Linca's face lit up.

"You could not bring some back, could you?"

"I will try, and chocolate and coffee, lots of coffee." Linca looked over her shoulder.

"He's waiting for you," Chihiro turned and saw Haku standing at the bottom of the steps. She walked a few paces forward. She stopped when she realised Linca and Rin were not following her.

"Aren't you going to walk with me to the border?" Rin looked at Haku.

"I think that is his right, don't you?" Chihiro frowned at them but then bowed. She managed to hold in the tears by biting the insides of her cheek.

"Thank you, both of you. I  _will_  see you again soon." She said and walked down the steps.

"Now you've promised me vodka you must come back!" Yelled Linca. "You can't lie to your sister!" Chihiro's steps faltered but she kept going.

 _"One foot before the other,"_  she thought.

In a few moments, she stood before Haku. The green eyes regarded her for a moment. He extended a hand.

"Come." He whispered. She took his hand and they walked down the street. Just as they had ten years ago, though Chihiro thought that perhaps they had been running. It was difficult to remember, her thoughts had been with her parents at the time. Now they were concerned with something quite different. They said nothing to each other. Chihiro could feel the tension in the dragon beside her. He did not show it, he walked as gracefully as ever but something told her that he was as anxious as she. Yet he held her hand so gently in his, almost cradling it.

Too soon they reached the border. Chihiro just watched the grass being blown for a moment. The border had been open every day she had been in the spirit world. Today it would close after she had crossed it, and only powerful magic would allow her to come back.

"I'm going to miss you." Said Haku at last. "I heard what Linca said to you. She is right you have had an effect on us, made us all a little human I guess." Chihiro turned to him.

"I would not want to change you all too much. You are spirits; I don't judge you, even spirits like Yubaba. You are what you are."

"Many of your kind would judge us. You are different Chihiro… you accept us…You accept what I am and have no fear of me." Chihiro looked at her feet; her hand trembled in his slightly.

"Fear comes from not understanding. I think I do understand you. That's what learning mythology was all about I think. I wanted to get closer to you all." Haku squeezed her hand gently. She looked back up into his mesmerising eyes.

"I'm not going to ask you if you are sure again, because I know you are." There was a blue glow in his free hand and a black velvet covered box appeared, about the size of his palm. "For you," he said. "Open it."

Chihiro reluctantly removed her hand from his and took the box. She opened it; the lid was hinged and flipped up. Inside on more black velvet was a pendant. It was a dragon, worked in silver with jade for the eyes. The dragon curled around a flat stone, about the size of her thumbnail. The stone was so black and polished she could see her reflection in it. She touched the silver dragon. As small as it was, individual scales were incised into it.

"It's obsidian." Said Haku quietly. "A very powerful stone that absorbs magic like a sponge." He removed the pendant from the box and the box vanished. He turned the pendant over in his hands.

"I've placed many spells on this and still it could hold more." He opened the silver chain and lent forward. He placed it around her neck. She could smell his hair and the scented soap he had used that morning, and something else. A scent that reminded her of rainstorms and cool mountain mists, that she was sure was just his. It was quite intoxicating and made her knees lose strength. He stepped back and tucked the pendant under her shirt.

"Never take it off. It needs to be in contact with your skin." Chihiro nodded glad to get her breath back.

"I won't take it off." She reassured him, "it's beautiful." He smiled such a sad smile that Chihiro thought her heart would break. He stepped forward and suddenly he was holding her.

"Come back to me!" He whispered insistently into her ear. "Come back and I will make sure your new life here is full and happy." He drew away from her and touched his lips to her forehead. They burned her skin for an achingly fleeting moment and then he was gone. He had disappeared. Chihiro hugged herself; she could still feel his warmth on her and was desperate to preserve it.

 _"Remember_ ," wisped a voice that could only be his.  _"Don't look back."_  A roar split her ears and she looked up to see a beautiful white dragon fly across the sky.

She could not take any more. She turned and ran across the border. She ran not noticing anything around her. She sprinted through the through tunnel in the clock tower and nearly tripped over the statue again on the other side. Only then did she slow her pace and skidded to a halt. She turned, body trembling, knees threatening to give way. There was nothing there, just woodland and a dirt track that ended abruptly. Not even the statue she had narrowly avoided only seconds before. She looked around miserably, trying to catch her breath. The sun was too bright and prickled her skin. The wind felt strange and forgotten noises surrounded her. Her nerves jangled and she tried to breathe normally. The very air seemed to burn her lungs, it was all very wrong.

"I don't belong here!" she whimpered. She hugged herself and gave a scream of pure anguish at sky that seemed too blue. She collapsed to her knees; she wept bitterly for some time. Heart breaking.


	21. Truth, Lies and Parents.

It was dark when she finally wandered back to the big blue house. There was a police car just outside the house. Chihiro groaned.

" _What do you think they would do?"_  She thought,  _"give you up for lost and get on with their lives? It's only been two weeks."_  Hastily she concocted a story to tell. It was not very good but she hoped it would be enough to get rid of the police. She walked up the steps and knocked on the door.

The door tore open and Chihiro thought she had actually been struck; the force of her mother grabbing her was that great.

"Oh, Chihiro! My little baby!" Chihiro had never had so many kisses. Her father just stood there.

"I thought you were never coming back." He said wiping his eyes.

"Where have you been!" demanded her mother. "No word or contact, you just vanished. Did anyone hurt you?"

"Please Mrs Ogino!" A smart police detective in his late forties stepped forward. "Let your daughter sit down and tell us everything."

Chihiro was ushered into the sitting room. She sat on the sofa with her mother still clinging to her. Her father seemed convinced that she needed to get checked out at a hospital, despite her protests. In the end, she told him she was thirsty and he scuttled away to the kitchen. She haltingly told the detective a story about Linca and herself meeting two Chinese boys in Kyoto. They had seemed nice enough, but they must have spiked their drinks because they woke up in a squalid little flat. The boys threatened to keep them, prisoner, until they agreed to marry them.

"We were well treated." She stressed. "But we refused to give into them; which was quite silly of us I think. We tried to explain that Linca was not Japanese and so marriage to her would not gain them citizenship. They thought we were lying and gave us no food for 2 days." The story sounded false and weak to her own ears, but the detective was writing it all down.

"Anyway, one night we were left with only one of them. He got a bit drunk. Linca attacked him and kicked him until he stopped moving." She shuddered at the imagined memory. "We got the keys off him and ran. We thought they were following us so we got the first bus we could find. In the end, we agreed to keep going just to be sure. I came back here and Linca was on the first plane going anywhere near Russia. I don't know if she will ever come back."

"My poor girl!" Whispered her Father from the kitchen door. He had forgotten what he had gone in there for.

The detective asked a few more questions she gave bogus descriptions and hotel addresses. Her story would hold no water, she knew that, but she was not intending to stay long enough for the police to discover that.

"Miss Ogino, you have a history of mental illness, are you sure this is not some symptom of that? You must understand this is a very wild story."

"Are you accusing my daughter of lying?" Growled her father. The detective stood.

"I must cover every eventuality Mr Ogino." He turned to Chihiro.

"Come down the station in a day or two. We will have checked the facts and you may have remembered more." He frowned. "Don't leave this address, Miss Ogino, we will need to contact you."

"Of course not Detective." She lied, "and thank you." Herfatherr showed him to the door.

For the next two hour,s her parents fussed around her. Every possible want was provided for. They asked her no more about her absence, as if frightened she would get upset. She went to bed that night feeling lonely, and VERY guilty. She fumbled with her pendant. Like her hair sticks and hair ti,e it was always with her. Its weight around her neck was reassuring but also a reminder of what she must do.

" _I'm their only child, how can I do this to them?"_ She thought,  _"But it is my life and I don't belong here anymore. Perhaps I was born in the wrong world or something, only to realise my true home when I stumbled upon it. I love them both but they never understood me, even before my adventures."_  She sighed and looked at her reflection in the tiny obsidian mirror.

"I'll tell them tomorrow," she whispered to it .

* * *

Chihiro decided to dedicate the next day to her parents. It was a lovely summer's day, warm but with a cool breeze. She helped her mother in the garden. Yuuko chatted away to her; the only mention she gave of Chihiro's adventure was…

"We are so glad your back." She said that several times. After getting thoroughly dirty in the garden, Chihiro went to help her father tinker in the garage. He had a classic motor cycle that he had been fixing up for years. Chihiro helped degrease its engine, (second time she had that year.) In contrast to her mother, her farther said nothing to her, except when she was handing him a spark plug he mumbled…

"They did not hurt you did they?" Chihiro nearly did not hear the question but understood what her father was getting at.

"N,o they did not." He grunted and said nothing else .

* * *

Dinner time came around and Chihiro decided it was now or never. So sitting with her parents she toyed with her food. How to start? She put down her chop sticks and sighed. The pendent seemed to grow a little warmer, it was quite reassuring.

"I have something to tell you both." She announced. They both looked at her.

" _Good start,"_  she thought.

"I knew it!" Gasped her father, "those monsters got you pregnant!" Chihiro shook her head.

"No Dad, there were no monsters." She sighed.  _"Well technically there were, but why confuse them?"_  She thought. She touched the pendant under her top and continued. "I'm afraid I've lied to you both." Her parents looked at each other.

"I was not kidnapped by Chinese men in Kyoto. That was just a very bad story to get rid of the police." Her father seemed to be choking and her mother put her hands to her face.

"What have you done?"

"I have not done anything Mum." She retorted.  _"Oh well,"_  she thought,  _"so much for the gentle approach."_  "I went to the spirit world. I was there for two weeks, Linca led me there and as it turns out she was not human and stayed behind. I came back to see you both and to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Whispered her mother.

"I'm going back; I want to live there…permanently." She looked at her parent's stunned faces. "And once I go back I won't be able to come back here. I intend to leave tomorrow." Her farther shook his head.

"We thought you were past all this." He said.

"No," she replied "I lied to you about that too, and to myself. I never stopped believing in that place. Not really, and I never took the medication you gave me either. It was clear you would never believe me so why should I tell you the truth."

"But Chihiro this is all some huge fantasy of yours, you can't possibly expect us to…"

"I know you don't believe me." She said calmly cutting off her father. "And that's part of the problem. You were supposed to; do you know how angry I was at the both of you? You put me through four years of therapy I did not need. You hung on every word that evil woman said, while she tried to screw with my head and brainwash the truth from me." She was icily calm, she suspected the pendants influence, it was almost hot against her chest. "I realised however it was not your fault, after all you are only human."  _"If only they believed me. They would find that quite funny."_  She told herself. It was time for the last piece of good news she had for her parents. "If you don't believe me you will be unable to cross the border and visit. I am never returning to this world, I won't be able to. The first time we crossed the border we were ignorant. Those who don't believe, who reject the existence of this world all together will never be allowed to see it. That would include me.

Her parents were silent for some minutes.

"You really believe all this don't you?" Asked her mother.

"I don't just believe, it's a fact." She replied. Her father just grunted. "I have no way to prove this to you." She said as she stood. "But please have some faith in me." She walked up to her room and pretended to go in it by to closing the door, making it click shut loudly. She sat on the stairs to listen to her parents talk.

"I thought she was past all this, she got to university I thought she was well." Said her Father.

"I suspected something." whispered her mother. "She used to stare at the sky on star lit nights from her room. I watched her; it was like she was in another world. Her eyes were so filled with longing. I never asked her about it, I was afraid of the answers I would get."

"We know what we have to do; we thought it would never come to this but…"

"She is happy," interrupted her mother. "Can't we just let her be? She has had this fantasy since she was ten; she is unlikely to give it up now."

"She is leaving tomorrow!" Her father hissed. "We can't afford to indulge her, its serious now."

Chihiro shook her head and went to her room. She should have known they would never understand. But she was surprised at her mother's efforts to try and see her point of view. She sat on the bed and fumbled with her pendant.

"I've told them," she said to it. "They did not believe me but it's done." She felt kind of empty, like she was not a person anymore in this world.

"I'm coming back tomorrow." She said.

If she had known what was going to happen she would of packed her things and headed for the border right then. Instead she got into bed and fell asleep.


	22. A trust betrayed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- a word of warning. I am aware that mental health services do not work like this and are indeed responsible for improving and saving lives. I wrote this when I was much younger and the more Victorian ideal fit the plot far better. 
> 
> If you need help never be afraid to get it. Mental illness can be just as debilitating as physical illness and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. 
> 
> That said I hope you enjoy the next few chapters but please treat them as pure escapism.

In the morning she woke got dressed and set about packing her things. Her father eyed the holdall when she brought it downstairs at breakfast, but did not say anything. Her mother seemed extremely agitated and nervous. Chattering away to her and avoiding any mention of her delusions. Chihiro could not blame her.

She raided the kitchen for all the goodies that her friends would like. She took 4 boxes of coffee and three tins of chocolate pudding. She could not find any vodka; she would have to buy some before she left that afternoon. She was tempted to bring her parents along so they could see her disappear through the barrier that they refused to admit existed. However, she thought better of it, they were scared enough already. By lunch, Chihiro was fully packed and her father himself had taken her to the next town and back to buy vodka. She also picked up twenty slabs of chocolate so she could make pudding for everyone else to. (Though she knew she would end up eating it.) She also bought another box of coffee. Her father said nothing about her odd purchases.

Chihiro was watching TV and having a last catch up on world affairs when there was a knock at the door. Her mother jumped.

"That will be them." said her father. He opened the door and a woman in her forties entered, followed by two large men in strange uniforms.

"Mistress Ogino," said the Woman and bowed politely. Chihiro stood and returned the bow, puzzled. The woman smiled. "Your father tells us that you are planning a trip." Chihiro glanced at her father.

"And you are?" she asked a little rudely.

"I'm Doctor Tanaka." Chihiro felt cold. "We would like you to come to the hospital for a few days; just to check you out." Chihiro gasped.

"You want to throw me in the loony bin?"

"A vulgar term." said the doctor, "but we would like to take you in for an assessment."

Chihiro folded her arms.

"What if I don't want to go?" She said.

"I'm afraid you have no choice in this matter, Miss Ogino. The committal papers have already been signed by your next of kin." Chihiro stared at her parents. Her mother dropped her eyes; her father gave a weak smile.

"It's for the best. You are not well."

"I'm not mad!" she hissed to the room at large. "It's all real and I'm going home."

"I know it may seem very real to you." Said the doctor. "But schizophrenic type delusions are difficult to deny, they are very realistic. We just want to help you." It was then Chihiro noticed the two men had to been edging closer to her. She gave a sharp laugh and bolted up the stairs.

She dashed into her bedroom and placed a chair against the door. She then opened her window and thanked Haku's Gods that her mother was a gardening fanatic. Half the house was covered with trellis. They were banging on her door now and her father was demanding she came out. She scrambled out the window and down the trellis ruining her mothers prized clematises. She jumped the last four feet and hit the ground running, something she would never have been able to do without her sisters spells, she felt like an athlete. She bounded down the road, her eyes fixed on the woodland below.  

There had been more of them waiting outside, however. They came after her in a car which accelerated past her and skidded to a halt. Four men got out blocking her way down the hill. She dodged and weaved past two of them and practically leap-frogged the third, after kicking him in the shin. The fourth must have been in the police or something because he knew how to fight. He dropped her with a punch to the stomach. Lincas spell prevented injury but it could not stop the wind being knocked out of her.

It was all over. They had her arms behind her back and were dragging her up the hill. She would not give up. She bit and kicked against them, it took two of them to hold her as the doctor came down the hill with her parents.

"Mistress Ogino please calm down, or I will have to sedate you." Chihiro spat at the doctor and screamed with rage. She was so angry.

"You're my parents!" She yelled. "How can you do this to me?" Her mother was crying but her father looked at her with cold eyes; only seeing an embarrassment. 

The doctor was filling a syringe.

"If you put me away you won't cure me. It won't make me the perfect daughter you wanted. I'm telling the truth and that won't change with drugs and doctors!" Her blood burnt like fire in her veins, her vision seemed to have a reddish tint. The syringe bit into her skin. "I won't be in that place long!" She hissed realising they would be thinking suicide rather than escape. "I hope you're happy, I hope you both sleep well tonight, especially you Daddy!" The drug was starting to take effect, she tried to say something but it came out as nonsense.

She heard the doctor trying to reassure her mother but Yuuko kept saying.

"This is wrong; we should not be doing this. Look at her, she is terrified!"

" _Not terrified!"_  Thought Chihiro.  _"I'm angry, angrier than I've ever been. They may not know what they are doing to me but that is no excuse."_ But as the drug took hold of her mind her thoughts slowed.

"Pleeth" She whispered as her mother kissed her goodbye. "Pleeths leth mme gooo."

"I'll come and see you." She promised. "I'll bring you home as soon as I can." She touched her face and then they dragged her into the back of an ambulance."

When they had her strapped down on the gurney, the doctor took her blood pressure and listened to her heart. The ambulance moved off.

"Miss Ogino there is really nothing to be frightened of." She said soothingly. "Once we assess you we will probably move you to a medium security ward. This will only happen if you behave. We are not monsters who lock you up and throw away the key. We want you to get better and leave. We can only do this if you help us."

Chihiro did not reply. As she drifted off into a drugged unconscious she felt the pendant grow cold against her chest.

* * *

She was beginning to come back around when she arrived on the ward. A very friendly but patronising nurse wheeled her around in a chair that she was strapped to. The nurse showed her around the ward; Chihiro could think of nothing but escape.

"This is the TV lounge; you'll like that won't you? This is the games room…" Chihiro saw very little to give her hope. Everything was either locked in cupboards or bolted down. All the windows were barred. Most of the patients were in the same state she was, heavily sedated. Lincas spell seemed to also counteract the drugs somewhat. Chihiro was aware of what was going on but her body was still unresponsive.

"Now this is your room…" continued the nurse. Four featureless white tiled walls and one tiny barred window, a bed and one air vent so high up the wall she could not reach it even if she stood on her bed.

"So we will put you to bed and let you sleep…" The nurse and an orderly moved her limp body from the chair to the bed and strapped her down with leather wrist restraints that were attached to the bed.

The orderly left and the nurse beamed at her. She turned Chihiro's head so she was facing the ceiling, and then put pillows either side of her head so it would not roll to one side while she was sedated.

"Now let's get rid of some of this jewellery, would not want you to hurt yourself." After removing a ring and her earrings, she looked at the band on her wrist almost hidden by the restraints.

"We can leave this on, it's only string." She said with another syrupy sweet smile. She then moved to the pendant.

"I'll just take this…" Chihiro jerked violently forcing the nurse to stagger back. The pendant was burning against her chest.

"You will not... be taking that!" she spat, speech sluggish. The nurse stared at her and then her eyes seemed to mist over.

"Oh okay," She said in a dreamy voice and left, she did not even seem to notice the hair sticks. The door clicked shut and Chihiro was left to herself. She collapsed back on the bed her muscles turning to rubber once more. She tried to sleep, she knew she would need her strength but sleep refused to come. The lights all went out an hour later and she was injected again not long after. She did not struggle this time.

Only then, on her own with the sinking feeling in her stomach that meant the drugs were taking effect, did the tears come. She made no noise as the tears rolled down her face; they were bitter tears of disappointment.

"I would be back home now." She whispered into the dark. "I'm sorry I did try, I really did." The dark pressed down on her and eyes fluttered closed. "I'll keep trying." She sighed and slipped into a dreamless unconscious.


	23. I May Live On

She hid her hair sticks after her first night and tried to keep her pendant out of sight. It was a comfort to her, its weight reassured her that she had a home to go to. After three days on the ward, she earned herself a reputation as a real troublemaker. She tried to break a window by ripping up a chair that was bolted to the floor and swinging it against the glass. They had her before she even managed a second swing. She spent the rest of the day sedated, sat in front of the mind-numbing cartoons in the T.V lounge. When she came back to herself she realised to her horror that she had drooled all down her front. No one had bothered to clean her face.

The day after she had tried scrambling out of a low air vent in the recreation room and tripped a silent alarm. She had spent twenty-four hours confined to her room. Doctor Tanaka confronted her with her behaviour.

"In doing this, you are going to ruin any chance you have of going to a less secure ward."

"I don't belong here, I am not mad," Was her reply. "Look at me Doctor, I'm rational and reasonable. Even if this was a fantasy, who am I hurting by believing in such things?"

"You were going to run away; coming back to your parents was a subconscious cry for help. Your delusion is so advanced you actually think you can live within it."

"If that is true doctor then where was I for two weeks? If I was in a delusion how come I returned well fed and without a scratch on me?" The doctor shook her head.

"I can only assume you managed to look after yourself while immersed."

"And is that normal?" asked Chihiro knowing the answer.

"No," Replied the doctor. "Yours is a very interesting case."

Chihiro was sure the doctor meant well but she had an inherent mistrust of the medical profession. She knew it all stemmed from that horrible councillor she had been forced to see. She also knew that if she could calm down and think she could perhaps find a way out. But even with the drugs being pumped into her she was in a constant panic, she really believed that she would never leave this place unless she escaped. Her parents came to see her, but she was drugged after another escape attempt in which she flooded the toilets. She could barely understand what they said to her, but she could gather they were both upset by the state she was in.

" _Good,"_  she thought.  _"Serves them right!"_

She realised after five days that she was not going to get shock therapy or any other barbaric treatment, and she managed to get a hold of herself at last. She knew these opportunistic escape attempts were getting her nowhere. She needed a plan. She became a model resident overnight. This meant she was more carefully watched than ever, but after a few days of exemplary behaviour the nurses and orderlies paid her less attention. After four days of this, Doctor Tanaka said that if she kept behaving herself she would be moved in a few weeks.

" _Where it will be easier to escape!"_  She thought. It was not much of a plan but it was the best she could think of.

At night she was sedated so she had no chance to feel lonely or think about her friends in the spirit world. When she did get a few moments to herself she would imagine what they would be thinking about her. Would they think she had decided to stay? Or would they be trying to find her? She remembered Haku's words.

" _Have faith in us, we will not fail you again."_

She kept looking for a way out.

* * *

She had been in hospital over two weeks when the mix up happened. The ward was short staffed, so they had called in nurses from another ward. When Chihiro went to bed that night she was not given a sedative. She was still very tired from all the residual drugs in her system, but the sleep she fell into was a natural one. She began to dream.

Just as before, it felt like she was watching a television from a distance. She saw Haku's office and Linca, Rin, Kamaji and Haku crowded into it. Haku was pacing the floor, hands clasped behind him. His lovely face was clouded with worry.

"I told you," he snapped at Linca. "We should have done something last week!"

"They are her parents," interrupted Rin. "She can spend as much time as she likes with them."

"She is not with her parents." He growled and stopped pacing like a caged animal.

"How do you know?" Asked Kamaji while cleaning his glasses nervously.

"Do you think I would be careless enough to let her go with no way of tracking her? She is about a hundred miles from where she should be."

"Maybe," said Kamaji very carefully, "she has decided to stay." The look Haku gave the old spirit could have powdered stone.

"No," piped up Linca. "That's not it, I saw it in her eyes before she left, she meant to come back." Haku nodded to her and resumed his pacing. "There was one other thing," Mumbled the land spirit. The green eyes turned on her once more. "She had a terrible feeling of dread before she left. I think she had a premonition."

"And this just happened to slip your mind?" Drawled Haku dangerously.

"It's not my business what she chooses to tell you dragon!" Snapped back the sprite. Haku shook his head.

"That does it, I've waited long enough." He turned around sweeping his gaze across everyone in the room. "Whether you approve or not, I'm getting her back."

Chihiro was shouting at the scene at the top of her voice.

"Yes, please, please come, I need you!" But they did not seem to hear her. It seemed they were going to come anyway. Kamaji shattered that prospect.

"There are rules Haku, you know them well. You cannot interfere unless she asks for help."

Haku sank into his chair. He looked tired, like he had not slept in days. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

"The last contact I had from her…it was a feeling of such rage…like she had suffered a great injustice or betrayal." He mumbled. They were all looking at him. "After that nothing," He sighed wearily, "two weeks of nothing. It's like she has been asleep." All of a sudden the eyes blazed and his mouth twisted. He slammed his fist down on his desk cracking the dark wood and making everyone jump.

"She could be dead for all I know! And I'm just sitting here!"

"You would know if she was dead I think." Whispered Rin.

Chihiro shouted again at them.

"Please! I do need you help, Please!" The image was starting to fade. "No, No!" She was panicking now. Then with insight born of sheer desperation she tried…

"Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi. I request your aid. By all the powers of your river, I bid you help me!" It sounded suspiciously like a spell, without the cheesy rhyme, but had not Linca said it was not the words that counted? The words were an aid, nothing more; it was the intent and will that were important.

The image jumped back into focus. Haku's head snapped up and he looked directly at her, green eyes wide and shocked. He stood.

"Chihiro?" he whispered. She felt a pain in her arm; the drugs had been administered at last.

"Help me Haku please!" she shouted, "I'm trapped."

"Chihiro!" he called again knocking his chair to one side. "Who has you? Where are you exactly?" The image was fading fast, the drugs pulling her deeper, away from him.

"In a Hospital" she cried "Exactly were I'm not sure I…" The medication sucked her under.


	24. Friends indeed

She remembered some of her dream in the morning but not all of it. She remembered seeing them but not what was said. The next day she had a surprise visit. She sat in the visiting area and a tall man came towards her. It took a moment for her to recognise him, the copper hair and freckles should have been a big give away; also he was unnaturally tall, (as westerners tend to be,) but her fogged brain was slow. It was not until he held a hand out in greeting that she placed him.

"Scott," She gasped. She stood, wobbled and hugged him, she tried desperately not to cry but she was so happy to see a friendly face again she could not stop herself.

"Hey!" he said. "I expected you to be glad to see me, not cry all over me!" He helped her sit down; the white visiting room was virtually empty. Many preferred to forget the inmates here. Cameras constantly monitored the activity in the room. Chihiro squinted under the harsh strip lights. Scott noticed how tired and worn she looked, her face was thinner and there were large circles under her eyes. He shook his head.

"Och wee lassie, what have they done to youn?" He said slipping into broad Scottish brogue for a moment. He handed her a tissue and she dried her face. He chatted to her about university and how he had managed to get a family visitors pass.

"I called in a few favours from some med students. You'd be surprised by how many of them have family already in the medical profession."

"How did you know I was here?" he grinned, attractive dimples peeped at her from the corners of his mouth.

"I hacked the university database to get your address and then gave your mother a call." He frowned. "She is feeling really guilty about putting you here. Which leads me to the question…" he paused and held his head on one side; regarding her with his piercing blue eyes. "Why are you here? If you don't mind me saying so, you don't look mad."

Chihiro laughed.

"I'll take that as a compliment." She gave him a brief outline of her adventure at ten. Then went on, mentioning no names, to how she was lured back to the spirit world. Then told him how she had returned under Haku's advice. "He wanted me to make peace with my parents; he could not have known this would happen." She sighed and looked him square in the face, her eyes pleading for an understanding that she knew she was not likely to receive. "I know it sounds crazy but it exists, it really does and I want to go back there." She looked at his open freckled face and was surprised, she thought he would laugh or tell her not to be so stupid. Instead, he sat back and seemed to consider what she had told him, his face was thoughtful, not judgemental. Eventually, he said…

"It's far-fetched, but I don't think you are crazy." Chihiro made a small squeak of surprise. He smiled at her kindly. 

"You believe me?" breathed Chihiro, then she frowned. "Why?"

"I'm Scottish Chihiro. We take in the fact that the world is not all it seems with our mother's milk. Also if you believe, then it is good enough for me. You're not crazy; you talk of your story rationally. If you say you have met spirits then it has happened."

Chihiro nearly burst into tears again, but then an idea came to her.

"I should not be in here Scott." She mumbled; he nodded in agreement. "I've got to get out of here." He swallowed and said nothing. "I need your help." She whispered, he lowered his own voice.

"I won't be much of a help to you I'm afraid. This place is locked down tight; I don't have any idea how to get you out." She smiled at his boyishly eager face.

"I don't need that sort of help. I'm sure my friends will take care of that. What I do need is transport, I need to get away from here quickly once I'm out. Over the next week, or for as long as you can, Will you wait for me in your car after dark?" He smiled at her.

"I'm not adverse to the idea of a few nights in my car, but after a few nights of waiting around someone is bound to notice me. I'll probably be escorted away from the premises by the police." Chihiro grinned at him, he was so sweet, why on earth had she never fallen for him? He was a gentleman and cute, he had always treated her like a princess. Now he was willing to break the law for her and help her escape. Yet she had never felt THAT way about him, she was a fool but she could not change how she felt, no matter how much she may wish to. She sighed

"Just do what you can, don't get into trouble. I can do this on my own if needs be, you will just speed the process up."

"What if it all goes wrong?" He whispered, "What if you don't get out at all?"

"Then I will do it the hard way."

"And that is?" He asked.

"Fake my recovery."

"That could take years!" He gasped.

"I know," She gave him a sad smile. "I've done it before and I'm a great actress. I don't care how long it takes. I made a promise and I intend to keep it." Scott noticed Chihiro's eyes had taken on a dangerous sheen. It was a hungry look and for the first time, Scott really believed that the woman before him may actually succeed, through sheer force of will if nothing else. The bell rang for the end of visiting hours making them both jump. Scott stood reluctantly.

"I'll do what you ask; I hate to see you in here Chihiro. I really hope these friends of yours come through for you." She gave him a big grin.

"They will, I have faith in them."

* * *

She did not know why she believed they would help, but seeing them in the dream had given her hope. So she waited for something to happen. On the night of her third week in the hospital, she was rewarded.

That night she did something that should have been impossible; she woke an hour after receiving her sedative. She opened her eyes blearily, the drugs still tugging at her consciousness. She thought she heard a voice, she frowned and groaned.

"Chihiro," The barest of whispers tickled her ears. Her heart skipped a beat. She knew that low calm voice so well; soft and smooth with steel beneath.

"Haku." she breathed.

"Yes." Replied the whisper, "I'm here, turn your head." She looked to her left and there he stood, about a foot from the head of her bed. She drank him in; every detail was precious to her. Almond shaped emerald eyes peered at her from behind strands of glossy green-black hair, his pale fine-boned face appeared almost translucent in the moonlight pouring from her tiny window. Her eyes roved over broad shoulders and down his lithe frame to his bare feet. Something was wrong however, it took her hazy mind a moment to figure it out, then it hit her. He was transparent.

"Wel,l I'm sort of here." He smiled at her making her smile back. "Finished looking yet?" He teased gently.

"I just can't believe you are here." Her voice was throaty with sleep; she became aware that she must look terrible. "I think this is a dream." She whispered.

"No," he smiled again "I am here to help you." He glanced at her restraints and his face clouded with fury. Emerald eyes blazed with green fire.

"Did your parents put you in here? Who did this to you?" He bared his sharp teeth "I'll rip whoever's responsible to shreds," he snarled.

"Don't do that Haku," She sighed, "it will make an awful mess on these white floors." He stared at her and then grinned; his anger gone.

"Wel,l they have not removed your sense of humour yet. Pity, sarcasm does not suit you. You'd be better off without it." He put his head on one side and raised his eyebrows. "I should leave you here a little longer perhaps?" Chihiro shook her head vehemently.

"That's what I thought," he whispered. "Besides your sisters would murder me." Chihiro chuckled softly.

"I've missed them; I've missed all of you so much." She croaked, he nodded,

"We've missed you too, more that you'll ever know I think."

He came closer to the bed and her restraints opened without him lifting a finger. She struggled to sit; he watched her struggle, unable to aid her. Suddenly he was all business.

"I can tell you how to get out." He explained hurriedly, "but you are the one who has to do it." She nodded, mind un-fogging, all she wanted to do was collapse in his arms and sob her heart out. She knew without being told however that this was not him, merely a projection of him. He did not breathe she could feel no heat from his body, it was not fair! Why did she have to be so strong all the time? Heroines should faint, and wake twenty four hours later in a big bed with her friends around her. Heroines did not have these sorts of adventures and have to escape from confinement on their own! They had men to do that stuff for them, usually ones on horse back with big swords. At that moment Chihiro hated the laws of magic.

The vent above her rattled and the grill floated to the floor.

"Linca's glue spell was never removed, you can use that to get up into the hole." His image was fading now. She felt her chest tighten.

"Don't go, I don't want to be on my own again!" Her voice wobbled andhe winced.

"It will be alright Chihiro, I can't do any more, if I could I would believe me." He touched her face running his fingers over her cheek, she felt nothing. His eyes held hers,

"Take hold of your pendent." He whispered, his voice roughened with emotion. She did so, information flooded her mind and she struggled to take it all in.

"Your river!" she gasped, "You want me to come to your river?" The phantom Haku smiled.

"I am the river; in going there you are coming to me. I can do no more for you at the moment. You can do this Chihiro, I have faith in you, and you're the strongest person I've ever met. Hurry you don't have much time." His image faded away.

"Haku!" She called reaching out to where he had been, but he had vanished.


	25. The great escape

She secured her hair sticks in the waistband of her pyjamas. She put on her slippers, sighed and stood on her bed. She jumped at the wall.

"Glue," she said her hands stuck fast to the white tiles. She hung for a moment trembling.

" _Now what?"_ She thought,  _"if_   _I say unglue I'll just fall."_ Then she had an idea.

"Left unglue." To her surprise it worked, she stuck her left had a little higher up and then stuck the right hand above that, in this way scaled the wall. It put tremendous strain on her wrists and shoulders to hang like that, she felt muscles tear and ligaments strain to breaking point. Somehow she kept going. She staggered into the air vent and collapsed gasping.

" _Must hurry!"_ She thought and struggled to her hands and knees. Haku's directions through the pendant had been precise; three lefts two rights and through the grill. She was trembling with the medication wearing off and terrified of being heard. She crawled through the endless steel tunnels getting very dirty and trying to ignore the burning in her throat from the dry recycled air. Goodness knows how many germs she was breathing in!

She finally found the grill, it was loose and it clattered to the floor of what looked like a sort of laundry/locker room. She scrambled back and sat motionless for some moments. When it became clear no one had heard the noise; she hopped out of the vent and fell into a laundry trolley. It was full of nurse's uniforms.

"Damn you're good Haku," She whispered. The vents had certainly been alarmed but he had apparently sorted that out too, he was a miracle worker! She frantically got changed.

But someone had heard the clatter. A male orderly walked in on her. Chihiro froze. The man frowned at her discarded pyjama top and then stared at the slightly grubby nurse's tunic she had half buttoned up. He grabbed her, she struggled but her body was hurting from her climb and not very responsive. It was the same man who had punched her when they brought her in, and he was so strong. He wrenched her left arm behind her in a painful lock; pulling her hand up so she was forced onto her toes. She could not move.

"Now Miss Ogino, I'm going to take you back to bed. I knew all this good behaviour was too good to be true." He began to drag her to the door; she tottered on her toes and cried out as he twisted her arm harder to make her follow more quickly. He pressed an automatic syringe to her arm with his free hand.

" _What can I do?"_ She thought.  _"I'm not going back, I've come too far!."_ Then she remembered the Ladies words.

" _They are to lash out with when you most need them,"_ muttering silent thanks she extracted a blade from her waistband. She stabbed at the orderly over her shoulder, twisting the blade as it bit into flesh. Rin would have been so proud of her. The orderly gave a cry and fell back freeing her. The syringe snapped in her arm and started to ooze blood. Chihiro turned brandishing her blade. The man was slumped by the dryers, shaking; blood was pouring from his shoulder, soaking his uniform. Chihiro knew the blade had nicked a large vein.

"Please." He whispered, "Please don't kill me..." She shook her head, horrified at what she had been forced to do.

"I'm not going to kill you, I just want to go home," she said. She removed the alarm trigger from his belt; all staff carried one in case of attack. The man had apparently forgotten about it in his surprise at being stabbed. She pressed a wadded uniform to his shoulder. "You must keep pressure on this, I'll trip the alarm when I'm gone and you will be found." He nodded but said nothing. There was fear in his eyes and for a moment Chihiro hated herself. She buttoned up her uniform and found a pair of shoes in an open locker, they were too small but she ignored them pinching her feet. She removed her pyjama bottoms and wiped her blade on them. She clicked her hair stick back together and placed both sticks in her breast pocket. She found an I.D badge in the uniforms other pocket, it looked nothing like her but she pinned it on anyway. She draped a coat over her bleeding arm; she noticed blood stains on her back in a mirror. They must have splashed onto her when she had stabbed the man. She fanned out her hair over the stains; there was no time to change. Haku had engineered this escape to take place just after the shifts changed; she needed to leave soon to avoid looking suspicious.

"You won't get far." Gasped the man.

"We will see." She replied and marched from the room.

* * *

Like Linca had told her to at the ball, she walked with her head held high, as if she was wearing a heavy crown. She strolled through the ward, looking just like a nurse who was late coming off shift, now hurrying to get home. No one stopped her or even looked at her. She gave a smouldering look to the security guard on the way off the ward. He smiled back at her, not even bothering to check if the photo on her I.D badge matched the pretty face before him. After that it was easy. The hospital was vast and no one questioned the young nurse walking purposefully down the corridors. Inside Chihiro was quaking with panic but she refused to show it. When she saw the main exit she ripped the cord on the alarm. She could hear the exclamations coming from the staff room she had just passed. Chihiro marched out the door and did not look back.

Later the hospital would have an investigation. They never did work out how she had got a weapon; or how she had managed to get out the air vent and escape without triggering an alarm; all this while supposedly sedated. Though the police were alerted, Chihiro Ogino was never found.

* * *

As promised Scott was waiting in the car park. He got out of his car and hugged her.

"Nice look," he said holding her at arms length, admiring her uniform. "Very attractive." She giggled, giddily with joy.

"I don't know how you did it and I don't think I really want to know." He said pointing to the blood stains on her back; the gentle night breeze had betrayed her secret by blowing her hair over her shoulder. She winced at Scott's words; she hoped the man had been found.

"Let's get you out of here." Said Scott, bundling her into his car. Scott had a Jaguar, which Chihiro was very grateful for as it purred quietly into life and they sped off through the deserted streets.

"So," he said, "any idea where you want to go?"

"Yes," she replied, "You got a map in here?" He indicated to the glove box. She pawed over the map; it took a while to find what she was looking for because the image Haku had given her of the place was a view from above, as a bird or dragon would see it. All she had as a guide was the landmarks. When her eyes roamed across the right area however, the pendant flared up and practically burned her.

"Get onto the main road going west; I'll guide you from there." Scott nodded. After driving for a few minutes in silence Chihiro decided to say something.

"Thank you for doing this Scott." She whispered.

"I wanted to." He replied, "You really did not need to be in that place. Anybody with half a brain could see that."

"You're a good friend," She yawned, still tired.

"I have more selfish motives for doing this." He said, but Chihiro was already asleep.

* * *

After about an hour of sleep, Chihiro woke to guide Scott to a field in the middle of endless farmland. The Jag bumped over the field until Chihiro called a halt.

"Do you have any tools in here?" he nodded, puzzled.

"We will need them." She got out of the car. Luckily the moon was bright enough to see by, or Chihiro may have missed the concrete slab altogether. In the middle of it was sunk a man hole with an iron cover. This fallow field was miles up the valley where Haku's river once flowed. Now with the river redirected underground, the area seemed to have a sense of wrongness about it. Chihiro looked down the V shaped valley and could see the lights of the housing development that had hurt Haku so, miles below. She glowered at it, for a moment she really did hate her own race. She knew there was very little flat land left to build on in Japan. But all the same, she could not helphating the people who bought those houses.

Scott came over with his tool box.

"We need to lift the cover." She said in a strained voice. Scott groaned.

"These things usually need a special key tool Chihiro, but I'll try." He tried a screw driver and a hammer and chisel, but the cover refused to move. Then Chihiro felt the pendent burn painfully hot again, it was a warning.

"Scott get back!" She shouted and they both stumbled over the ridged field.

There was a rumble under their feet and then a pop. The cover sailed into the air and hit the ground with a thud a few yards away. Chihiro could hear water running. She gave a little cry andmade to run towards the hole, but Scott grabbed her.

"Where are you going?" She looked at his worried face.

"Home!" She replied, "I don't belong here Scott, my place is with them." Scott's face seemed to twist in pain for a moment, but he let her go.

"I love you Chihiro," he said quietly. "I have since the moment I saw you." Chihiro's mouth hung open, not knowing what to say. He smiled at her confusion. "You're beautiful, and not just in your looks. There is a little light inside you that you can't hide, no matter how hard you try too. You're a wonderfully warm, caring person, I'm sure I'm not the first or the last to fall for you." Chihiro closed her mouth and swallowed, still silent. "But I also knew your heart lay elsewhere. I tried to win you, but now I know what I was up against. There was no contest really was there?"

Chihiro just looked at him. The water noise increased in volume as if getting impatient. Scott looked over the hole.

"I hope he takes care of you."

"Who?" she squeaked, finding her voice at last.

"The person you've been trying so desperately to get back to."

"Haku?" She chuckled at his serious face; his blue eyes did not waver and demanded an answer from her. "We are not together!" She protested, "He does not see me that way." Scott laughed bitterly, Chihiro did not like the sound it, gave her the impression she was breaking his heart.

"You really are blind. How could any man, mortal or immortal, not see you for the amazing woman that you are?" He bent forward and kissed her cheeks.

"Good luck I hope you find every happiness."

"Thank you again Scott." She said blushing furiously. He gave her a huge blue eyed wink.

"Tell Linca I said hello, university is just not the same without her." Chihiro was even more disturbed by this then she had been at his confession.

"How… who… how did you know? I did not tell you!" He smiled again.

"Goodbye, Chihiro Ogino." He said with a formal bow. "I don't suppose we shall meet again." He sighed, "He is waiting for you." Chihiro gave him a stunning smile and ran over the rutted field with a giggle. She peered down the man hole. There was a ladder leading down into the swirling, wild water. Chihiro was a good swimmer but she did not relish the prospect of struggling in that water. She climbed down the ladder and let go. The cold water embraced her and swept her down the tunnel.

* * *

Above ground Scott watched her go. "I'm going to miss you." He whispered. He turned to go, but there was another rumble and water jetted up from the hole soaking Scott. He ran back and found he was holding something. He opened his right hand to find an emerald the size of his palm.

" _Thank you."_  The words whispered through his mind, making Scott shudder. It was like the ocean had just decided to talk to him, the voice was strong with vast power in its hidden depths. Scott just smiled.

"Look after her." He said. He took his gift, got in his car and drove away.

* * *

The water swirled around her dragging her down the pipe. She trusted the river, of course, she did. But when she saw the pipe narrow, she tried uselessly to struggle against the current. The water seemed to sigh as if disappointed.

"Hey!" She shouted at it, "You're not the one who needs oxygen to live!"

" _Trust me!"_  The water seemed to say. She took a deep breath and was sucked under. It was dark and cold, she grazed her hands on the concrete sides. Her lungs started to burn for air. She bit her lip as bubbles tried to force themselves from her mouth.

" _Chihiro_." His voice was all around her, " _listen to me, you have to drown."_  Chihiro shook her head cursing him internally; did he not know she would die?

 _"It's the way things are. I can't help you unless you are drowning, just like when you were a child. I helped you then, I can help you now. Just take a breath."_  His smooth voice sounded so reasonable, so warm. However, Chihiro's instincts overpowered her trust. She shook her head again. She was going to hold on to her air for as long as possible.

 _"Chihiro,"_  Whispered the river again, more insistent now.  _"These pipes go on for miles, with no breathing spaces. I need to guide you down the correct ones to get you home. I can't do this if you won't accept my help!"_  She was getting flashes before her eyes. The water seemed to move a bit faster, he was angry.  _"Chihiro, if you don't do as I say you will die; you will be too weak for me to save! You said you had faith in me, now prove it!"_  He was right she opened her mouth to apologise and water rushed in. She clamped her mouth shut, body shaking.

 _"Please…! I know you are frightened, I will not hurt you."_  He begged his voice bordering on frantic.

She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. Her lungs rebelled, expelling the water and sucking in more in a desperate effort for air. It was incredibly painful and suddenly she had no control any more; she panicked. Her arms pushed at the water in an attempt to get to a surface that did not exist. She sucked in more and more water; her gag reflex was getting weaker she was starting to black out. Everything was icy black.

Her hand hit something, it was warm and yielding; she grabbed at it. The thing pulled her to it; she struggled feebly as it pulled her deeper. She jerked back when something touched her lips. Hands grabbed her head and pulled her back. All was confusion for a moment; then she realised she was breathing. Air was soaking down into her tortured lungs and replacing the water, she did not even need to cough. She wrapped herself around the air source in the most intimate embrace she had ever given anyone. Haku just held her, breathing into her mouth. She relaxed a bit. The current pulled strongly at her, she opened her eyes to see a soft light around them both. They where static in the rushing water; Haku's command of his element was extraordinary.

She pulled her lips from his for a moment and glared at him. He gave her a lazy smile in reply, his green eyes were even moregreen under the water. His hair was swirling around him like ribbons of kelp. He caught her lips with his again and she began to breathe once more. His breath tasted sweet and it slipped in and out of her lungs like damp satin. Her chest was no longer irritated. She was no longer cold; the heat from his body was warming her. She was no longer afraid; he was holding her almost as tightly as she was holding him, keeping her safe from the wild water.

She reflected that she had been a baby the last time she was given a life giving substance from someone else's body. It had the same pacifying affect now as it did then. She was completely relaxed as they started to move down the pipes at lightning speed, she almost fell asleep, almost. She stayed awake because she was marvelling at the feeling of his arms around her and his soft lips touched to hers.


	26. Homecoming

It seemed like hours before they surfaced, and maybe it was. When at last Chihiro's head broke through the water it was a shock to feel cool air on her skin once more. Tentatively, almost reluctantly, Haku removed his lips from hers. Chilly, harsh air filled her lungs; she coughed for some minutes; still held by the water spirit. When she got her breath back she looked around her. She was partially submerged in a huge underground lake. The cavern that contained the lake seemed to go on forever. Her eyes adjusted to the gloom and she realised there was light. Some sort of moss or fungus was growing on the cave walls, it glowed a gentle aqua-marine. The Cave walls themselves were of a black rock that was loaded with crystals of what she thought must be quartz. The green-blue light was reflected back off these crystals, providing enough light to see by. The light bounced back off the black looking water too, making the lake seem bottomless.

"It's beautiful." She gasped.

"I'm glad you like it…because…well…it's me." He seemed a little awkward. She realised that this was because she was seeing something very few had seen, perhaps only her since the river was forced underground. The river was him, the deepest most vulnerable part of him. She smiled and said.

"Then that makes you beautiful too doesn't it." The smile he gave her was both dazzling and shy. She coughed some more and shivered. Whatever spell he had woven while they moved through the pipes, it was wearing off.

"We should get you out of the water." He said, "You need to be warm and have some food and sleep." She nodded and they moved on through the lake. Haku made no motions at all, just moved through the water as if floating through the air. Chihiro felt the current pull at her but being held by him she knew she would be safe. She saw a cliff emerge as they approached the opposite end of the lake. It was made of the same shining stone as the cave, as was the building on top of it. It was a relatively simple construction, three floors and nine windows at the front. However, there was not a sharp point on the building anywhere. The whole thing was curved like a water-worn pebble. They arrived on a black sandy beach just below the cliffs. As Chihiro walked out of the water, gravity took hold of her and her legs faltered and then buckled. Haku supported her until she got her balance back.

"Steady little one, you need a minute to adjust. Don't force your body or it will fail you."

"What did you call me?" She was surprised by the familiarity. He actually blushed at being caught using his pet name for her. He refused to answer. She decided to let it drop; after all, he had rescued her, he could call her whatever he liked. They struggled up stone steps cut into the cliff. Haku seemed almost as tired as she was. Progress was slow, but finally, they made it to the door of the house. It opened for them.

The interior was the same as the exterior. No harsh corners and beautiful natural stone everywhere. Chihiro was too tired to take notice of much else. They staggered up the steps to the second floor. A door opened into a medium sized bedroom. Leaning on each other they walked into the room. Haku stopped in the middle of the room and swayed.

"I'm sorry" He gasped, "I really can't go any further." He collapsed to the floor, taking Chihiro with him. Chihiro managed to wriggle to a sitting position. Haku was unconscious. His face was grey; he had exhausted himself in rescuing her. She did not even want to comprehend the amount of power he had used to affect events in the human world. She touched his face, brushing back wet strands of hair, his skin was soft but cold. Green-black eyelashes cast shadows on his pale cheeks. His lips were slightly parted, showing glimpses of very sharp white teeth. He really was beautiful. She shivered and hugged herself, she was still wet through. She knew she had no strength left to lift him; in fact, the room was starting to spin. Her arm was throbbing painfully where the syringe had scratched her; she suspected some of the needles was still in her.

"You came for me." She whispered, "And I shall never forget it." She sighed and snuggled down beside him on the hard stone floor. She put her arm around his middle and rested her head on his right shoulder blade. She hoped to keep him warm, she did not know if such a thing was any use to a sick spirit; but it was all she was good for at that moment. She was relieved to hear his heart beating slowly, his breathing was deep and even. She closed her eyes and welcomed the blackness.

* * *

"Master Haku, Master Haku." He groaned, he was so tired and now someone was shaking him. How dare they disturb him!

 

"Please, please get up. The human is not well, please!" Whined the voice.

" _Chihiro!"_  He thought. His eyes snapped open and regarded the furry face of his housekeeper Meeka.

"Oh please master, your human, she is not hale!" Haku turned to where Chihiro lay by his side. She had cuddled into him and slipped an arm around his waist. He smiled at her, touched she had tried to help in the only way she knew how. The smile soon left his face, however. He saw the dark circles under her eyes, her skin was very pale, her breath came in shallow gasps and she was perspiring heavily.

He managed to turn her over. He saw the problem almost immediately. Her right arm was swollen from elbow to wrist. There was a wound on the underside of the arm, it was small but there seemed to be something in it. The entrance of the wound was inflamed and weeping clear fluid. Around the puncture, her veins stood out angry and red under the skin. The first symptom of blood poisoning. He knew little of human illness. He needed to talk to someone who had lived among them.

Using some of his severely depleted power, he called Linca. He felt the warm response of her mind.

" _Stop showing off with your long distance telepathic abilities dragon, I'm busy."_  He showed her an image of what he was seeing.

" _Haku you were supposed to rescue her not hurt her!"_  Lincas mind cried.

" _Just tell me what to do."_  He said tiredly. He felt a wave of sympathy from her.

" _She is going into shock caused by the infection. The trauma she has experienced recently is probably not helping either. A basic stabilisation spell should keep her infection under control and reduce the shock. The wound will need attention and soon."_  Haku nodded. A stabilisation spell would use up the last of his strength; he would need to rest before he tackled the wound.

 _"I'm on my way, I'll leave Rin in charge, when she finds out her sister is ill she will be in such a foul mood Yubaba will not dare cause any trouble."_  The connection faded and broke.

Haku sighed and with the help of Meeka he managed to stand. He struggled to lift Chihiro and again with his housekeepers help lay her on the bed. He took a few deep breaths and lent on the small cat-like spirit for support.

"I'll need you to help me to my room after this my friend." He said to the wood spirit.

"I beg you master, please don't exert yourself further. If you exhaust your power and tap your life force… well, you know what will happen." He gave a tired smile to the cat-like creature.

"I'm not that far gone yet," He mumbled.

It was a bit embarrassing but he was going to have to vocalise the incantation. Normally he scorned such magical aids, being well practised enough to exercise his magic by will alone. But Chihiro was unconscious so his pride was spared.

"Be still, be still. Cause no further harm. Freeze in time and stabilise." A green glow surrounded Chihiro and slowly faded. For the second time, Haku's knees buckled. Meeka caught him; Chihiro seemed to be breathing more easily.

"Look after her while I rest Meeka." He whispered and hobbled to his room with the wood spirits help.


	27. A Dragon's Dilemma

Chihiro opened her eyes. The ceiling sparkled, making her remember where she was. The room was round, like a bubble in the rock, except for the flat floor. A green glow permeated the white linen drapes, luxurious rugs covered the floor. There was a huge dark lacquered wardrobe across from her and a polished copper mirror next to it. The bed she was in was huge and comfortable but quite low to the ground. The blankets she suspected were cashmere or the spirit world equivalent. Again it struck her that Haku must have a lot of money stashed somewhere. She tried to sit up, wanting to see more of the room.

"Please," said a crisp voice. "Don't get up, you are ill. My master will attend to you once he has recovered from your rescue." Chihiro saw a small furry spirit at her bedside. It looked like a cat had decided to walk upright. She had ginger fur, almond-shaped yellow eyes with a slash of black for the pupil and triangular ears on top of her head. Her hands were furry too with sharp nails. She was wearing a serviceable kimono made of a cotton-like fabric. The rest of her looked relatively human.

"Satisfied your curiosity?" said the spirit woman coldly.

"I'm… sorry," she stammered. "I meant no offence."

"No humans never do, but they always end up hurting us." Chihiro was shocked by the open hostility. Haku had told her of the prejudice against Humans, but she had never thought to experience it while in his care.

"I'm sorry." Was all she could think of saying, after all, she was on the verge of septicaemia. Not the best condition to be in to think of a cutting rejoinder.

"It's all very well being sorry," spat the cat. "You have no idea what we suffer at human hands! Look at what happened to my master. He lost nearly all his power and had to suffer the pain of separation for years. No mortal can understand such things! Why he takes care of you now I don't know. In my opinion, you should go back to where you came from. Stop burdening him with your selfish demands. He has nearly drained himself completely for your benefit! If your cruel human heart had any regard for him at all, you would leave."

Chihiro decided she was not sick enough to take comments like that without saying something. She felt bad about what humans did to the spirit world, but she had had enough bad experiences in her life to recognise when she was being bullied. The bile rose in her throat. She would never be told what to think or feel again, NEVER!

"You are here no doubt by Haku's kindness also. How do you think he would react to having you talk like this to a guest in his household?" Meeka's ears flattened in anger. She narrowed her eyes and hissed exposing some vicious looking fangs. Chihiro ignored her and continued.

"I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself before they get you into trouble." Chihiro smiled sweetly. "I may be human and you may hate me, but I'm sure you can be civil to me if you care to try. I gave your master back his name and his life; we humans are not all bad. If you get to know me a bit better maybe I can prove it to you. But whether you hate me or not, I'm here to stay so I suggest you get used to it."

" _Quite a good put down for someone feeling like death warmed up,"_  Chihiro thought. The spirit gave another hiss and swept out of the room.

Chihiro knew he was in the hallway before she saw him melt out of the shadows. He still looked a bit grey and his eyes had lost some of their lustre. As he approached the bed she noticed his movements were slow and deliberate.

"So you are here to stay are you?" he teased.

"Don't you ever knock?" She retorted, sitting up. He grinned.

"This is my house why should I?" He chuckled, then his face turned serious.

"I apologise on Meeka's behalf. I employed her after her woods were destroyed. She has a good heart and is a hard worker but she hates humans."

"I know, we are all scum, we can't help it." She grimaced as he sat her forward and plumped up her pillows so she could sit in comfort. Chihiro was glad that she had been changed. The nurse's uniform was now a linen nightgown. Meeka had at least had been professional enough to clean her up a bit, despite how she felt about humans. Or maybe it was Haku. She paled at the thought and then dismissed it.

" _Don't be stupid Chihiro!"_  she told herself.

He manipulated her arm.

"You are not scum, there is just a lot of you," He mumbled. He ran a finger over the wound, causing a spurt of pus to ooze from it.

"Ow!" Yelled Chihiro and snatched her arm away from him.

"Sorry," he apologised. "I had to check the level of infection." Then he perched beside her on the bed. "How are you feeling?" He asked. Chihiro thought for a moment. She ran a hand through her hair and then stopped, it was a tattered mess.

"I feel like I've been hit on the head by a sledgehammer… repeatedly. Then run over by 200 head of cattle, then half-drowned by a very inconsiderate river spirit." He laughed, it was a pleasant sound.

"I'm sorry I had to rescue you by drowning you, but I thought the first place they would look for you was the woodlands near the border. They would never expect you to head out into the countryside and jump down a hole." Then he gave a mischievous smirk. "Besides, my form of escape had its other benefits…" Chihiro had to restrain herself from pinching him.

"What happened?" he asked gently, abruptly changing the subject. Chihiro sighed, and told him, prudently omitting what Scott had said to her. That was private, Scott was a good person and she would not dishonour him in that way. She expected to see more of the anger Haku had demonstrated to her bedside in the hospital. Instead, he looked sad.

"At least your mother tried to understand." He mumbled.

"But my Father he…" she protested feeling angry herself now. How could he be so calm in the face of this injustice? She felt cheated. He stopped the angry comment by putting his finger to her lips.

"Do you hate them Chihiro?" he asked his green eyes holding her hazel ones.

"NO!" She protested, taking his hand from her mouth. "I think they are fools but…"

"So you have lost respect for them?" He interrupted again. Chihiro knew he was guiding the conversation but her head hurt too much for her to care.

"No I still respect them, they are my parents! But they have been such…"

"Let me put it this way…" he said interrupting yet again but keeping his tone light. He leant forward so his face was inches from hers and she could feel his breath on her face. "I could kidnap them, bring them here, and show them what they refuse to believe. Then I could stand them before you, they could apologise and then I could rip out both their throats or maybe just your fathers. Is that what you want? Because if that was your wish, I would do it in a heartbeat." Chihiro pressed herself back into her pillows to get a little more distance from those hungry eyes. She had to force herself not to put her hands over her ears, his coaxing, honey sweet words rattled around her brain after he had stopped speaking. Despite her horror, she was tempted, but only for the briefest moment.

"No," she whispered, "I don't want that." He nodded, seemingly satisfied and sat back again. Chihiro swallowed her pulse started to slow now she was not pinned under those fey eyes. She then realised what he had done.

"You did that on purpose; you made me angry and then offered me the revenge the darkest part of me wanted… why?" He smiled all ease and friendliness now, not a trace of bloodlust remained in his gaze.

"For someone who has no family, parents seem a precious gift. I would hate to see you throw yours away. You must admit they are not malicious; they only ever wanted what's best for you. Also, if you truly did not care about them you would not have been appalled by my offer." She frowned at him.

"You are far too clever, it will get you into trouble one day." She murmured. He raised an eyebrow and said nothing. "You could have just said  _"you are being unreasonable Chihiro,"_  and left it at that."

"You would not have listened." He retorted, then he stood. "I still need time to gain my power back before I heal your arm." Chihiro looked at the weeping sore.

"Won't it heal on its own?" She asked.

"I contacted Linca; she says you need a thing called antibiotics to heal on your own." Chihiro nodded, she had thought as much. "In the meantime, you should rest. I should be ready to try this afternoon to make you more comfortable." Then a conspiratorial look crossed his face. "I almost forgot."

All of a sudden Chihiro's lap was filled with three bottles of vodka, 10 boxes of coffee, 20 slabs of chocolate and 10 cans of chocolate pudding. Chihiro was delighted and her eyes widened in wonder.

"How did you…?" She looked up, he was gone.

* * *

As promised, that afternoon he came back. He looked better, the colour was back in his eyes and his complexion was less lifeless. She thanked him profusely for his gifts. She also demanded to know how he had done it, she then berated him for drawing on his depleted resources for something so trivial. He gave her a huge wink.

"What's the point of being an aall-powerful river God if you can't bend the rules from time to time?"

He inspected her arm and sighed.

"Stabilisation spell is wearing off." His hand hovered over the wound. Green light glowed on her arm. She felt cold and shivered. He placed a hand on her forehead and looked into her eyes.

"This is going to hurt I'm afraid," he said. Then the small piece of needle in her arm started to move. She shouted but fought to remain still for him. His cool hand did not leave her forehead, but his eyes concentrated on the wound. Slowly the needle eased from the puncture hole. Once it left the hole it floated into the air and melted to nothing.

Puss seeped from the wound. Chihiro thought it hurt more now than it had before. Bandages etc appeared and Haku cleaned and dressed her arm and then a final wave of healing magic swept through her body, dissipating the poisons in her blood.

"It's done," He said weakly. He was sweating and looking even worse then when he had collapsed; even his eyes had dulled in colour. He turned to try and walk from the room, desperate for rest. Chihiro caught his arm.

"Stay." She said quietly. Haku blinked, thinking he had not heard her correctly. She shifted up the bed to allow room for him, Haku's eyebrows shot up.

"It would not be proper," He mumbled. Chihiro's face clouded.

"I don't know much about the etiquette in this world that's true. However, as far as I am concerned we are friends and you are ready to drop. If you try and make it to your room your pet cat will probably have to scrape you off the floor again. I'll be blamed for it; she will see it as my fault. Now stop being so stubborn and get some rest." He wavered; she had a point, but…

"Besides you're far too tired to take advantage of the situation." She teased. He smiled then and pulled back the sheets and lay down with his back to her.

" _This may be a bad idea but it feels so good right now_." He thought as muscles turned to water and he began to drift off.

"Who would have thought you were such a prude?" Chihiro yawned. 

"I'm just protecting your honour." He murmured into the pillow. She yawned again and turned her back to him, not touching him.

"Protect my honour," she scoffed at the ridiculous notion. "Protect me from who? You're unlikely to spread malicious gossip." She snuggled down and drifted into a deep sleep.

He waited until her breathing indicated she was asleep to answer.

"From myself." He whispered, "I'll protect you from everyone, including myself." He remembered what Linca had said about emotions creeping up on him. That hot balmy midsummer night seemed a lifetime away now. The sprite had been annoyingly accurate; he was fighting a losing battle. He had not given up yet however, a spirit and a human was unnatural, and yet…

He fell asleep thinking in circles.

* * *

He awoke in the early morning, but no sun streamed through the crystal windows, only the same uneven glow of the bioluminescent fungi in the cave outside. He blinked sleepily, trying to focus. His eyes were greeted with a shock of brown hair with red tints fanned over the snowy white pillow before him. As he suspected might happen, he had turned instinctively towards her body heat as he slept. Now he was lying cuddled into her back, his arm around her middle. His hips were spooned around hers and their legs were hopelessly entangled. She was still fast asleep, her breathing was regular and she was occasionally snoring gently which he found terribly endearing. She was still exhausted. Healing magic utilised the patients own energy as well as the healers to repair the damage or cure the illness. Much rest was often needed afterwards for the patient; the healer could decide how much energy to take from themselves and the patient. In Haku's case, he had used as little of Chihiro's energy as possible. However, drained as he was he still had to take some off her and had nearly brought himself to collapse again.

He closed his eyes and just for a moment enjoyed her closeness. The softness of her body against his, her scent tickled his nostrils. Not the human smell, that had already faded and was quite pungent, though he would never tell her that. This was her own smell, light and slightly spicy. He had the urge to press his nose to her pale throat and inhale it more deeply. He toyed with the idea of drifting back to sleep and letting her wake to find herself in his arms. It would be very interesting to see her reaction. He dismissed this however, not wishing to cause her embarrassment or worry when she was recovering. She had been quite ill.

Again he had been shown how fragile she was; and yet she had also shown him how strong she could be. He had smelt the blood that was not hers on her clothes. She had obviously had to do some fighting to get away. Being virtually untrained, he was surprised she had not been more seriously injured. Humans were strange things, war like and vicious they seemed bent on their own destruction most of the time and yet Chihiro had taught him that they could be compassionate and giving too. Haku was now of the opinion that the human race was generally good and it was but a few who created the chaos.

He held her tightly for a moment and then gently untangled his legs from hers. His bare foot brushed her unclothed lower leg, making him gasp. Her skin was achingly smooth and warm. More determined to leave now, before he changed his mind, he levitated her an inch or two and slipped away from her before replacing her on the bed. She grumbled in her sleep at the disturbance and snuggled into her pillow as if missing him holding her. Her face frowned and then cleared as she slept more deeply. Haku had had enough. Emotion running high enough to choke him, he practically ran from the room. He opened the door and closed it quietly behind him without a backward glance.

Meeka was in the hallway, mopping the highly polished stone floor. The cat like spirits eyes rounded to see him leaving the humans room. Haku knew what his house keeper would be thinking. She would know he had not returned to his room last night. He gave a shallow bow and greeted her as if nothing had happened and marched down the corridor. He came to his own room and went straight to his balcony overlooking the underground lake. He stared at the black surface for some time. Linca would arrive in two days, he would have to settle things with himself by then or he really would have no peace. Confusion clouded his mind. It was wonderful to have her back, she brightened everything, but the strength of emotion he had for her before she left seemed to have intensified in her absence. He had really missed seeing her face, hearing her voice. He had not realised how much just her company meant to him. He knew he had been attracted to her, that he could have handled. This went deeper, much deeper. He was frightened and exhilarated at the same time. In all his long life, he had never felt this way about anyone.

"I am in serious trouble." He said to the lake.

He realised now that the only reason he had changed his form was for her. As the years had gone by he had aged himself in parallel to her. The way he acted when she arrived, the anger he felt when she ran away from him, his nervousness in dancing with her and his delight when he had, the protectiveness he felt towards her when she cried and the devastating loneliness he had felt when she had left him; it all pointed to the same thing.

"I am in VERY serious trouble." He told the lake.

Relationships between humans and immortals were cursed. Everyone knew that, even Chihiro would know that as a student of legend. The gulf between those who would die and those who would endure was just too wide. Yet Linca had loved a mortal, but from the way she had flared up at him, he bet that the end had been less than agreeable. He was frightened of getting hurt but most of all of hurting her. He sighed and leapt off the balcony, executing a perfect dive into the lake, he made no splash as he entered the water. Contact with his river soothed his worries but could not make him forget her scent and her warmth. Or how he wished he could wakewith her in his armsway every morning. He worked with his river and formulated a plan.


	28. Compassion and Morality

Chihiro awoke to find him gone. She stretched and sighed, she was still tired, but her arm felt better. Meeka came in and placed a tray of food on a table next to the bed. She busied herself about the room; laid clothes out on the bed, opened drapes and turned on the lights.

"You will get up today, my master wishes to take you out." The spirit woman glared at her. Chihiro did not know what she was supposed to have done.

"Thank you Meeka." Was all she said, the cat woman turned on her.

"Don't you know it's not right? It goes against all natural and magical law! A human and a spirit, it's disgusting!" She approached the bed and lowered her voice. "If you have any respect for my master you would leave now. Remain and his reputation will be severely tarnished." Chihiro was having a little trouble taking all this in, her brain was still sleepy.

"What are you talking about?" she half grumbled.

"You and him!" Snapped the spirit. "You spent the night together."

"And?" Chihiro folded her arms, "I fail to see the problem here."

"Whoring about may be common among humans, but we immortals have more respect for each other. We deny our baser instincts."

Chihiro threw back her head and laughed in Meeka's face.

"There must be very few spirit children then Meeka." She gasped between giggles. Linca was proof enough that Meeka was talking nonsense. She could have told the woman the truth about last night, but she felt no need to justify herself to the unpleasant spirit. The problem was Meeka would obviously never like Chihiro, and Chihiro was fed up with being judged by her races misdeeds. Oh, the spirit would take care of her for Haku's sake but did not like it. Chihiro was in the mood for an argument.

Meeka approached the bed and extended some wicked looking claws.

"You should consider your words more carefully human. I would hate for that pretty face to get scratched." The spirit's eyes narrowed to the barest slits of yellow. Chihiro sensed the danger but chose to ignore it; she was angry and wanted to provoke the cat.

"Go ahead Meeka" She drawled. "We are all scum; take your petty little revenge out on me. I did not cut down your trees, but I'm beginning wish I had!" Meeka hissed and the claws headed for Chihiro's face. She felt herself move almost automatically. Her hand snatched the spirits paw and bent it painfully back on itself, threatening to snap the wrist. Meeka was forced onto her toes and mewed piteously. Chihiro had not even moved from the bed.

"Don't underestimate me cat! I may be human but I can defend myself. Your anger at me is unreasonable and your hate it is blinding you." Meeka looked into the human's brown eyes and was frightened by what she saw. There was a kind of "make my day" belligerence coupled with a raw power she could not identify in their depths. This human was dangerous.

"Chihiro," Said a calm voice. "Put Meeka down please." Chihiro let go of the spirits paw and the cat ran to Haku who was standing in the doorway, dripping wet. Meeka clutched at his sleeve and gazed at him imploringly.

"Master!" She cried, "The human attacked me! I did nothing and she just grabbed me. Please send her away, I'm frightened of her!" Chihiro rolled her eyes at the display but said nothing, just folded her arms. Haku's eyes fixed on her for a moment; he seemed amused for some reason. He then turned to the diminutive wood spirit.

"Meeka, you disappoint me, you have never lied to me before." The spirit woman was so shocked she stumbled back a few paces. 

"But master I am not…"

"I've been standing here since you came in, you just could not see me." Interrupted the dragon, looking darkly at the spirit now. "I think it is time you left my service, you have insulted my guest and dishonoured me." Meeka fell to her knees her eyes were wide and her feline pupils were reduced to mere black lines. Tears leaked from her eyes wetting her fur but she made no noise, just trembled all over. Chihiro felt moved with pity for her.

"Haku" She said gently, "Don't, it's not her fault, and I provoked her. She did not harm me."

"Do you hear that? This human you claim to hate so much is defending you." Meeka glanced from Haku to Chihiro in confused misery.

"I want you to apologise to my guest." Said Haku in a cold voice, "the things you said to her were hurtful and malicious." Meeka stumbled to her feet and bowed almost to her knees to Chihiro.

"Forgive me mistress; I should not have let my emotions get the better of me." She said meekly. Chihiro nodded in acceptance.

"Now," Said Haku "On Chihiro's insistence I will not dismiss you. Instead, I impose a bond of servitude on you for a year and a day to pay for your actions."

"Haku!" Chihiro protested, flinging the covers back from her and jumping from the bed in indignation. Haku held a hand up to silence her.

"Don't worry," he said and turned back to Meeka.

"Meeka of the Izu forest I command you to serve Chihiro Ogino for the traditional term as her retainer." Chihiro mouth fell spirit did not deserve to have to serve someone she hated. Meeka however just bowed and Haku laid a hand on her head. Meeka's clothes suddenly turned to a simple white tunic of a thick serviceable fabric.

"I will serve my mistress willingly as you have commanded." Whispered the spirit.

Haku turned to Chihiro who was thoroughly disgusted by the proceedings.

"I will not keep a slave!" She snapped at him.

"Chihiro," he said gently. "This is how things are done here and Meeka accepts her punishment. " He looked at her steadily; he really needed her to understand. "You have much to learn about our ways." Chihiro sighed and nodded, but said.

"Slavery is completely contrary to all my morals, but I accept that things are different here. I will have Meeka only if you assure me that you intend to keep your promise to her that she will be released." Haku's face darkened, he was extremely insulted by her insinuation.

"Do you really think so little of me that you believe I would not keep my word?" He was furious but was keeping his temper, his eyes gave away his feelings, however.

"I did not mean it like that," Chihiro winced; she would have to fix this.

She walked over to him and looked up at him through her eyelashes.

" _So I'm going to manipulate him a bit."_ She thought as her conscience pricked her.  _"I feel a tad guilty but… Well, I am only human and he does not realise anyway."_

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. It had the desired effect on Haku. The anger in his eyes melted away into something else.

"I did not mean to insult you. I just had to be sure, people like Yubaba are always bending the rules to their advantage, and it's made me a little paranoid I guess. Remember I'm sacrificing some dearly held principles for you." Haku had never thought of this and suddenly felt very ashamed of himself.

"I'm afraid you may have to sacrifice more. You were warned about this place." He mumbled. She gave him a sweet smile, pleased she had diffused the situation.

"I know, but I feel so at home here." Then she frowned, "But if you ask me to accept something I really think is evil I will not do it, for you or anyone else." He nodded gravely.

"I would expect nothing less; it's just good to know that you are willing to try embracing our ways. I was worried that this would be difficult for you."

Chihiro turned to Meeka.

"Is this okay for you? If you would rather serve someone else…" Meeka just bowed low, the fur on her face flattened. Haku placed a hand onChihiro's shoulder.

"You insult her Chihiro," He squeezed her shoulder as if to take the sting out of his words. "I… I'm sorry Meeka," she stammered, "I had no idea. This is all new to me." Meeka bowed again.

"No offence taken mistress, I am in your debt and I will repay you." The cat-like spirit then turned away and began to make the bed. Chihiro sighed, she hardly noticed that Haku had stepped closer to her and placed his free hand on her other shoulder. She jumped a little when his hands started to massage her; they were cold from the lake water. He tried to eradicate the tension he felt under his hands. Chihiro's eyes were on Meeka

"I'm still not comfortable with this." He smiled to himself behind her.

"I can tell, every muscle in your back is rigid." Chihiro just shook her head and then closed her eyes. She let him pull the tension from her; his fingers seemed to know exactly where to rub.

"Did you sleep okay?" She mumbled, his hand froze for a moment and then he continued a bit more vigorously than before.

"Very well, thank you." He said lightly. Chihiro saw Meeka's ears swivel in their direction and decided to let the subject drop.

"Meeka said we were going somewhere?" He removed his hands and she turned around to face him.

"Yes, I'm taking you for a swim."

"Oh… oh well, that's… not what I was expecting. I suppose you swim a lot, don't you?" He chuckled at the question.

"Water spirits tend to." Chihiro coloured at saying such a stupid thing. Why could she never think straight when under that green gaze? He walked to the door and called back to her.

"Get dressed and eat, I'll be back in an hour." Meeka chased after him with a mop, erasing the drops he left on the floor. Chihiro sighed,

"I don't know if I will ever understand spirits." She sighed.

"You never will," said Meeka as she was searching through Chihiro's wardrobe. "You are human. Understanding is not necessary, however, just accept what is." She said this with no malice, her voice was perfectly neutral. "If it is any consolation, spirits don't understand humans either. Especially when they save someone who would have harmed them from returning to the life of a lost spirit."

"Is slavery any better than that?" asked Chihiro.

"You have no idea how much better this is than being one of the lost." Chihiro ate her breakfast and decided not to worry about the subject any more.


	29. Into the dragons lair

She was dressed modestly once again, in the trouser-tunic combo that seemed to be the backbone of the spirit world fashion. Haku came back as he said he would, much more dry than when she had last seen him. He was carrying a backpack over one shoulder and was wearing some ever so slightly shabby clothes. He took her hand and led her to her room's balcony. When it became clear that he was going to walk straight off it she hung back. He pulled gently at her hand, but she refused to move. He regarded her curiously.

"I don't like heights," she said to the question in his eyes.

"You did not seem to mind ten years ago, or four weeks ago for that matter."

"Yes," she mumbled, embarrassed now, "but when you are in dragon form I feel safer about flying, that's what dragons do. Now a human looking person flying, that really jars against my perception of what should be."

He nodded, hesitantly.

"Makes a weird sort of human sense I suppose." He then smiled. "We shall walk, its a few miles but you could do with the fresh air, well as fresh as I can make it down here." A few miles of walking was not really appealing to Chihiro.

"Can't you change?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Not today," he said gently.

The truth was he wanted to be in his human form today, he did not want her to be reminded of the differences between them. He had decided that today he would sort things out. He needed to do something to find out how she felt about him. Linca would be here by tomorrow and probably want to take Chihiro back to the bosom of her new family. He would not have her to himself again for some time. It did hurt however that she would not fly with him. She had trusted him once, what had changed? He smiled and guided her from the room, and tried to ignore Meeka's feline gaze as he passed her in the corridor. He did not care what others thought, this was between him and his human.

* * *

They trudged along the black sparkling cliff line together. Little was said between them until Chihiro decided to break the ice.

"Why did you come back to the bathhouse?" He could not help smiling.

"Do you never tire of asking me personal questions?" He teased, "Are all your kind this curious?" but he continued anyway. "I had completed the heavy work with my river." He closed his eyes as if pained by the memory. "It was nearly dead when I found it. It had been deprived of the sun and all but the simplest life had perished." She placed a hand on his arm.

"That must have been terrible for you." He looked down into her soft brown eyes. He was touched by her effort to try and understand something she could not possibly comprehend.

"It was, and as soon as I had re-established the bond it hurt even more. I worked slavishly to rebuild the ecology. As the river grew healthier, I grew in power and now it is in peak condition. No human interferes with my river down here and though I have fungus providing the illumination and some very strange troglodytes living down here the river is healthy. I even have elemental spirits living here, some Nymphs and a few Selkies and even a water horse, he's beautiful, you may see him around," He turned to her, eyes serious. "Whatever you do, don't ride him. No matter how nice he seems, he has a dangerous sense of humour." Chihiro nodded she knew what a water horses were like and she would certainly never to ride one. They continued walking for a few minutes then Chihiro said.

"So why help out Yubaba if all was well?"

"All was not well." He stared at the black water of the lake. "I began to dream of you, you were so distressed, I used to wake from those dreams desperate to help you, but I could not. The others thought you had forgotten us, but I knew differently. I tried to contact you but something blocked you from me. I was frustrated by my lack of success and with little to do, I started to sleep for days at a time. It got to the point where I was practically in permanent hibernation when the Lady came to me. She can be quite persuasive; she got me to hire Meeka, to remind me that I had a day to day existence here. She also told me that my assistance may be need at the bathhouse. Intrigued, and I must confess bored with living underground, I travelled to the bathhouse and scared the wits from Yubaba." He grinned wolfishly. "I ended up with half the bathhouse. Even with two occupations, I was still having dreams. I talked to Zeniba about it and she advised caution. She reminded me of all the things that had happened to humans in this realm. I decided not to bring you here, even if I could, but I still needed to help you. I approached a lonely troublemaking spirit I'd employed in the baths a few months before; that spirit was Linca and the rest you know."

They walked in silence again as Chihiro digested all of this.

"You are very different from how I remember you." She mumbled.

"Of course I am. I'm a hundred times more powerful and not a slave anymore. I'm also physically older, which changes things too."

"Yes," said Chihiro, "I noticed that, why did you age?" He looked out at the lake, as if struggling with the answer. She did not want to make him uncomfortable.

"Look, Haku… forget I mentioned it, I…"

"No," he interrupted. "I will answer." He swallowed and looked at her, green eyes unreadable. "I made a promise to a little girl once. A promise that I would see her again. But little girls grow up and become beautiful young women. I decided to age myself with her, so that when we met again she would not see me as a child younger than herself." Chihiro could not think what to say, she had never thought that it was her that had induced him to change his appearance. She felt she was expected to say something.

"I think I like the older you." Then she grinned, "That is until you try to order me around." He smiled back at her.

"I'm used to getting my own way. You and Linca are the only ones who don't let me all the time. I respect you both for that."

They walked up a few black sand rises beyond the cliff line. Chihiro was starting to feel a little hot and bothered. Abruptly they came upon Haku's destination at the top of a steep rock rise. It took Chihiro's breath away. It was a small pool, a good thirty feet above the huge lake in the cavern. A small falls cascaded into it from a height of about twenty feet. The water was an aquamarine blue against the black rock of the pools bed. Most surprising of all, the pool steamed.

Haku looked at her.

"It's a hot spring that runs from below these caves and meets my river here. It's cool enough to bathe in and it's full of minerals. I thought it would help your arm." Chihiro touched her bad arm absently and looked back up at him. She was more than a little nervous. For some reason, she thought that her swimming in his river, even this small part of it, was more important to him than he was letting on. She did not want to insult him by accident. Seeing her hesitation he said.

"You can swim can't you?" Chihiro nodded and said.

"Better than you can, you don't swim you just kind of move through the water." He laughed at her, but watched intently as she removed her shoes and socks and stripped off her tunic, leaving only her vest and loose trousers on. She poked a toe in the water and smiled at the pleasant temperature. She could feel him hovering behind her. She performed a standing jump from the bank and turned it into a smooth dive. She slipped under the water. It was warm and bubbly, little eddies pulled at her but there were no strong currents. Haku watched her from the bank. She rolled forwards in the water twice and then performed a very shaky underwater handstand. She was acting like a child, like the child he had once known would have acted. To Haku, it was gratifying to know she had not left her ten-year-old self behind entirely. She swam to the middle of the pool and slipped beneath the water, touching the bottom. She surfaced a few seconds later with the iridescent shell of a freshwater snail.

"Can I have this?" She called to him.

"You can have anything you want." He replied with a smirk. She laughed lost concentration and got a mouth full of water.

"In that case, I'll have your house and your money." She spluttered but still laughing.

"As long as you take the dragon that goes along with it all, you can have everything." Chihiro smiled but by the look on his face, she was not sure he was joking.

" _Of course he is!"_  She told herself,  _"don't be so arrogant! You always read too much into what he says."_ She swam towards him and stood up on the bottom, her feet slipped and she was about to fall when he caught her. Chihiro's eyes widened. More than anything she had seen him do so far, this disturbed her most. He had moved so fast he had disappeared for a moment.

"Sorry," he mumbled aware he had scared her. He set her upright and looked at the water around his feet.

"Don't apologise to me for being what you are. You may startle me sometimes, but I would not change you, for both our worlds." She treated him to a sweet smile and then slipped back into the water. She swam to the opposite edge of the pool and sat on a rock shelf beneath the water that made a perfect bench. The water still came up to her chest. She sat back and sighed, completely relaxed. She watched Haku slip into the water. He could swim when he wished to, but not like her. He did not fight the water but used it. He was as graceful as a seal or dolphin. She watched him in awe for quite some time.

" _He is a creature from another world, but he is so human-like sometimes I forget about his true nature. Then he does something impossible and it shocks me. I wish I could stop doing that. I have no problem with his dragon form or his power but he does not react to things like I do, he sees things very differently, and that confuses me. He always confuses me."_ She pulled a face. _"You're my friend Chihiro, do as I say Chihiro. Here is a vastly expensive gift Chihiro, your only human Chihiro."_ She sighed and then smiled to herself as her eyes followed him around the pool again.

" _It's a good job he does not know how handsome he is."_  She thought _. "At least I don't have to deal with an attempted seduction as well as everything else. It's not like he would ever look my way twice but… With him being that handsome… well, it would be difficult to…"_  She laughed at herself earning a strange look from Haku.  _"Not that being seduced would be THAT unpleasant, it would just be inconvenient."_  She shook off her imaginings and slipped off the rock shelf and swam slowly towards him.

He came up from the bottom of the pool with a handful of iridescent snail shells just like the one she had found. He grinned at her as she trod water and he stuck them one by one in her sleek, wet hair. By some sort of magic, they stayed put.

"There," he said with a boyish smile. "Now you look like a real mermaid." Chihiro looked at his bright fey eyes and friendly smile and felt something melt inside her. "But you don't swim like a mermaid, all splashes and noise it's so human, fighting the element you find yourself in, endearing too." She frowned, and then on a whim, ducked his head beneath the water. She swam away and gave a girlish scream as he gave chase. She knew he could catch her easily but he held back, enjoying the hunt. She squealed again as he made a grab for her foot. She kicked out splashing water in his face. She felt incredibly slow and clumsy in the water compared to him, but she swam as hard as she could to the waterfall regardless of her bad arm. She swam underneath the raining water and gasped as the cooler water hit her face and back. It was not a strong flow, more a heavy shower of droplets. It caressed her face hair and neck. There was no time to feel refreshed, however, as he was only moments behind her.

"Give up!" He said in a mock evil voice. "I can chase you all day and never tire." She clung to the slimy rocks behind the waterfall and started to climb towards a ledge she could see a few feet up, slick with water and slime.

"Never!" She shouted over her shoulder. "I'm human and adaptive, you're stuck with one element." She scrambled up the rocks leaving him in the pool. He did not follow her. She slipped a few times but managed to haul herself over the ledge and out of the falling spray.

She peered back over the ledge and grinned.

"Come on dragon!" She called down to his upturned face. "You can't say you're afraid of heights, that's my excuse!" He rose from the water and floated up through the spray to the ledge and stepped onto it. He folded his arms cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. Chihiro placed her hands on her hips.

"That's cheating, you're not playing fair!" She accused.

"Who said I had to?" He retorted.

"Me!" She replied coming closer and squaring up to him. Annoyingly she had to stand on her toes to do this but she tried to ignore that. "Flying is not in the spirit of fair play. I move that you be disqualified from these proceedings!" His green eyes danced with mischief, he leaned towards her, forcing her back onto her heels.

"Well that gives me little incentive to play fair," he drawled, "I caught you and I demand a prize." His hair fell forward and dripped on to her face. This close to him she could feel his body heat through her wet clothes. She shivered in the damp air, but refused to back down to him and let him win this strange game they were playing. She flung her head back whipping the wet tresses from her face.

"You don't deserve a prize!" She retorted and made to jump from the ledge, she planned to dive back into the pool and swim for it. He caught her around her waist with one arm and pulled her to him. She struggled but it was like having an iron cord around her. She looked down at the water and pouted slightly.

"I'm not playing anymore; you don't give me a chance." She mumbled.

"I'm not playing anymore either." He said.

She snapped her head around to look at him, surprised by the rough tone of his voice. The green eyes had a hungry look in them, she had seen that same look in Scott's eyes, but Scott's look was tepid compared to the heat she could see burning in Haku's emerald gaze. She could not move, she could not breathe, her pulse raced and her stomach shrank. Her mind was completely blank, she had not seen this coming, she had suspected, but could not believe that he could ever have an interest in such a dowdy little human like her. How stupid she was! Now she felt like a rabbit before two green headlamps, unable to do anything.

"I'm still taking my prize" he whispered and took her face in his hands and kissed her. Chihiro hardly felt the kiss at first; it took a moment for her brain to catch up with what was happening. His lips were as warm as she remembered and his breath was just as sweet, but this was different to him rescuing her. His lips caressed hers in such a way as to leave her breathless; he was gentle but left her in no doubt of his intentions. When she felt his hands leave her face and move down her back to her hips, pulling her even closer to him.

She panicked. She twisted in his arms and pushed him back from her. She stumbled two steps back and stared at him, unbelieving. Her fingers fluttered to her lips, touching them as if she had been burnt. She opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out. She felt angry for being surprised by him and flattered that he had feelings for her, but scared too, she had liked his kiss a lot more than she thought she would. The touch of his lips to hers had dazed her and nearly driven every sane thought from her mind leaving her defenceless… nearly. She also began to feel very guilty when she saw the hope drain from his face on seeing her reaction.

"I'm sorry," He said in a dead monotone, "I've insulted you… it won't happen again." Before she could speak a word of explanation, he leapt from the ledge into the pool below and disappeared. Chihiro cursed loudly and sunk down to sit on the ledge, legs dangling into the spray of the waterfall. She sat for some time, just thinking.

"Oh Haku," she breathed, "I'm so sorry, if only you had let me explain! You surprised me, I was frightened!" Her lip trembled and she hugged herself. "I've always been afraid." She whimpered, she shivered again wishing he was here, wishing she could hug him and tell him not to take it personally and that it was just her being foolish.

"What am I supposed to do now?" she whispered, the pendant at her neck turned ice cold and the snail shells dropped from her hair.


	30. Hopes and fears

Chihiro had walked back alone. Meeka did not question Haku's absence. She ate her evening meal alone and went to bed without seeing him. His kiss pressed on her mind.

" _It was just a kiss_ ," she thought, " _So a dragon kissed you, what's the problem_?" But there was a problem. That kiss had obviously meant a great deal to him and she had ruined it.

" _Why?_ " She thought, " _Why could I not have just let him kiss me, or even kissed him back?"_  But she knew why. It was the surprise. It had been a total shock to her that anyone so attractive, so ethereally handsome like him could have designs on her. There was also the small matter of him being immortal; she should not even be in the running! All relationships between human and immortal ended badly, she could think of a dozen examples of this just off the top of her head, if she dipped into her books she was sure she would find many more. Haku seemed to have conveniently forgotten about all this, she, however, found her thoughts returning to the subject frequently.

With the benefit of hindsight how he felt should have been obvious to her. All the signs were there if she had thought to look. The way he had said goodbye to her, the way he had rescued her, the completely out of proportion anger he had displayed when she ran away. All the little touches and the looks, should have told her she was being inexpertly pursued.

"Even Linca saw it." She mumbled, "and now I've hurt him and probably ruined my friendship with him." She bit her lip and the kiss replayed in her mind once more, it had been incredibly good and that scared her, she could so easily get hurt.

" _I'm such a coward_ ," she thought " _I'm frightened of the fact that someone I find desirable likes me. My life is supposed to be all struggles and misery, Chihiro Ogino can never be happy_." She pulled a face at herself in the mirror on the opposite wall of her bedroom. " _If granny was still in my head she would tell me I'd been very stupid._ " She sighed. " _I have to apologise to him, if I ever see him again._ " She turned over and fell asleep but her dreams were vivid and disturbing.

* * *

Linca arrived bright and early, luckily Chihiro was already up. She breezed into the main living room, pale blonde hair shimmering, slightly blue skin glowing and white eyes twinkling. Chihiro had never been happier to see her.

"Oh don't you look better," Linca cried, hugging her tightly. "That dragon could have sent me another contact on your improvement. I thought your arm would be hanging off by now!" Chihiro smiled, Linca lifted the gloom by her very presence. "So that dragon has not driven you crazy?" She asked as she sat at a small table. Meeka served them, Linca took no notice of her. Chihiro, however, thanked the wood spirit and Lincas attention was drawn to the cat, she frowned. "Another gift?" she asked. Chihiro shrugged and tried not to condemn Lincas attitude.

"Sort of." She mumbled. Linca gave her an amused look.

"That must have been hard for you to accept. Don't worry, two terms of servitude did not hurt me. It's character building."

"What did you do to deserve that?" asked Chihiro

"I'll tell you again some time, lets just say I've a chequered past." She sipped her tea and was bright and breezy once more. "So where is the lizard?"

"I don't know" Said Chihiro in a small voice.

"Right here." Said Haku who was now standing at the door. His eyes focused on Linca and he did not glance at Chihiro once. Linca smiled and stood.

"Well, you have looked after my sister, though a little information would have been nice. It's a long flight from the bathhouse for an owl. If I had known she was so improved I would not have rushed." He said nothing just folded his arms and nodded.

"Anyway," she continued "We managed to squeeze some train tickets out of Yubaba, not easy I can tell you! But if you escort us to the platform we can make our way back. The train leaves in about an hour." Finally, Haku looked at Chihiro, his eyes and face were neutral, as if he was looking at a stranger.

"I'll give you ten minutes to get ready." He mumbled then he left the room. Linca blinked.

"What is going on here?" She asked, Meeka left the room whispering she would get their things. Chihiro turned to her sister-to-be.

"Nothing," she whispered weakly she looked at the floor, avoiding the white eyes.

"Oh come on Chi! You can cut the atmosphere between you two with a knife; he is practically throwing you out. Now tell me what has happened?" Chihiro shook her head and her lip trembled, Linca immediately wrapped her arms around her.

"Oh Chi, talk to me, you can tell me!"

"I've ruined everything!" Her voice wobbled, she was dangerously close to crying. "I should have known but I could not see it!" she whispered, she raised her head off Linca's shoulder and saw he was standing in the doorway again. She paled, how much had he heard? His face gave away nothing, his eyes were cold but at least he was looking at her. Meeka was hovering in the hall with a bag over her shoulder. Chihiro walked to the door and pushed past him keeping her eyes down.

Linca glowered at him.

"I don't know what you've done to her, but I'm sure this is all your fault! Tread carefully dragon, she has family now. You hurt her you hurt us." She swept past him, following Chihiro.

"I  _will find out what's going on, even if I have to beat it out of them both!_ " She thought. " _Judging by the empty look on his face, I'd say he's been rejected._ " Linca broke into a trot to catch up with Chihiro who seemed to be in a big hurry to leave.

* * *

Finally, after weaving through caverns and tunnels they came to a train platform in another large cavern. The train tracks disappeared into the darkness, the green fungus stuff grew all over the platform making it glow in the darkness.

 

"I thought the train went only one way?" asked Chihiro.

"It does," replied Linca. "We've got round trip tickets. It will take us all the way to the end of the root and then it will start again, dropping us off at the bathhouse."

"How long will that take? "Sighed Chihiro suddenly feeling very tired.

"About ttwenty-four hours," replied the sprite. Chihiro gave her a sceptical look.

"It's ok I'll put you into a hibernation trance for the trip. You won't need to eat or use the bathroom." Chihiro was unconvinced.

Meeka handed over Chihiro's bag, containing among other things Haku's gifts of coffee, vodka and chocolate. The little spirit looked up into the face of her new mistress and gave her a small smile.

"Since you only have two tickets for the return journey, master Haku will transport me to the bathhouse when he returns." The small cat-like woman patted Chihiro's arm. "All will be well mistress, you will see." Chihiro turned to Haku standing on the other side of the platform.

"You're not coming back with us?" she asked, she had expected to have some quiet words with him after returning to the bathhouse.

"No, I still have my river to attend to." He snapped coldly.

"Oh," she was disappointed but it was to be expected that he would not want to see her. Meeka left the platform for the entrance to the tunnels that led back to Haku's river, Haku turned sharply and made to follow her.

" _What!"_ she thought,  _"he is not even going to say goodbye? I may have wounded his pride but this is going a bit too far. I do not deserve to be ignored. The feelings I had were natural, I've punished myself enough about this, he should not be making me suffer more."_ She felt like slapping him but knew the situation needed to be handled gently. She had hurt his feelings and he was probably not used to all this.

"Wait!" she called, he turned and she trotted along the platform towards him. She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. Before she pulled away from him she whispered.

"Forgive me." She left it at that, she would not beg but she made her voice penitent. It was up to him now. She turned away from him and walked back to Linca with as much dignity as she could. Haku just stood for a moment as if deciding what to do. His eyes then fixed on Chihiro as he bowed respectfully to them.

"I will see you in a few days, have a pleasant trip." Then he turned away, leaving them.

"Well done," said Linca approvingly. "I don't know where you learnt your man management skills, but that my girl, was masterful."

"He hates me Linca!" Chihiro cried, Linca threw an arm around her shoulders and regarded her seriously.

"My dear, sweet, almost sister, there is a word for what he is suffering from, but it is not hate." Chihiro said nothing, just stared at the ground. "Oh cheer up Chi." Sighed Linca, "your home and safe. I thought you would be happy."

"I'm only here because of him." She whispered to the floor. "He rescued me, if he had not I would still be stuck in that mental hospital."

"Is that what happened? Your parents locked you up?" Chihiro nodded miserably, on the verge of tears again but she also felt the bile rise in her throat. She shook herself and said.

"I've been a fool."

"Probably." Replied Linca, "but if I knew what you had done I could agree with you." Chihiro shook her head.

"I can't tell you, it's between me and him." Linca gasped and put her hands on her hips.

"You slept with him!"

"No!" Chihiro almost shouted. "Don't be so ridiculous, one night stands are your department!" Linca seemed not a bit insulted by Chihiro's outburst.

"Should have known you would not do something that exciting. If you had it would have been a service to us all, he's obviously gagging for it."

"Linca!" Chihiro did shout now, He face grew red with mortification; it was all getting a bit too much. Then she heard the train.

"Oh come on Chi! Don't tell me that the possibility of you and him has never crossed your mind?"

The train pulled into the platform and stopped. Linca handed the tickets to the silent and shadowy conductor and took a seat. Chihiro sat opposite her.

"I really don't think of him that way." Chihiro protested. "He is a good friend." Linca sat back and shook her head.

"Chihiro, opportunities like this don't come along every day. Real love is rare no matter what the fairy tales tell you. I see the way he looks at you and I'd say from the way you're acting you see it as well." Linca sighed, "It was the same at university, men fall at your feet and you never noticed. Half of that was to do with wanting to come back here. So here you are, where you have always wished to be. But your self-confidence is so low from the battering it's taken over the years; you have never imagined he would ever want someone like you. Now he's made some sort of move on you, and you were so shocked you managed to step on his ego somehow." Chihiro looked out of the window and said nothing, Linca was quite close to the truth but she was not going to admit that.

"I'm going to give you some advice." Declared the land spirit. "I'm very old and wise so you should listen instead of ignoring me." Chihiro humphed and turned back to her. "Kiss, makeup and go for it." Chihiro rolled her eyes.

"So your advice is as insightful and valuable as always," she spat sarcastically. "I'm going to do nothing of the sort. He does not want me, he is just confused." Linca threw up her hands in exasperation.

"You're right you are a fool! Well, don't say I didn't try to help you when all this catches you up and bites you on the behind." Chihiro turned on the land spirit, eyes hard and angry.

"Think about this for one moment Linca, if you can possibly concentrate for that long," she hissed. "I'm human he is immortal. When I am old he will be the same. What happens when I'm 75 arthritic and wrinkly? You think he will like me then? Human and spirit can never be, and with good reason!" Despite her anger, Chihiro felt a great pain in her chest as she said this.

" _It is true!"_  She argued with herself,  _"and the truth should not hurt_."

But it did.

Chihiro sat back, ashamed she was taking her fury out on Linca, it was not the sprite she was angry at. She looked out the window again, not wanting to apologise. Linca shrugged and let her sulk for a while.

" _Perhaps I pushed her a bit too far? They are perfect for each other, can't she see that? But she is stubborn and scared and he is not helping, I think it is time for a little intervention."_ She thought. Plans began to form in her head and one of them had definite possibilities. Chihiro's voice broke through her musings.

"So what about this trance then?" Linca gave her a sad smile and snapped her fingers and muttered a few words. Chihiro slumped back in her seat, unconscious. Linca stood and manipulated her into a more comfortable position, so she did not wake all stiff and grumpy. She pushed hair back from her face and kissed her forehead.

"Sleep well sister; let your mind rest for a while. Everything will be okay; I will make sure of it." She whispered.


	31. Linca knows best?

The bathhouse was in chaos when Linca and Chihiro walked through the door. Apparently, the Lady had been to see Yubaba, requesting an audience with her, Haku, Zeniba and the human in three days. The bonding was to be held in the temple district of the town across the river. It had no official name but most just called it simply Clock Tower.

Chihiro felt cold all over, three days! Three days was nowhere near long enough to prepare a defence and find a third speaker. In truth, she had forgotten about the bonding ceremony. On the main bathing floor, people were running around everywhere in panic. No one was attending to the customers or to what Rin was trying to say. Rin was looking a bit panicky herself, this was very unusual for the normally strict and cynical spirit woman, but having the closest thing the spirit world had to a supreme being visit was enough to make even Rin tremble.

"Rin!" Chihiro shouted and ran over to her closely followed by Linca.

"Oh Sen!" gasped Rin, she was flushed and her long brown tresses were in complete disarray "I saw her, she was beautiful, she was terrifying and she spoke to me! To me of all people!" Chihiro saw customers milling around, looking confused. The radish spirits kindly face popped up over a tub rim; there was no one there to help him out of it. Chihiro dashed over to him and with Linca's help, they had just enough strength to haul him out and help him down.

"I'm so sorry." Said Chihiro bowing low to him. Linca handed him a towel.

"This disruption is only temporary." Said Linca to the spirit who nodded slowly and meandered away into the crowds of other confused spirits. Linca saw Chihiro's soft brown eyes snap with fury. Groggy from the trance and angry and upset from everything that had happened in the last few days, Linca knew Chihiro would be in the foulest of moods. The present situation was just the icing on the cake. Rin pushed through the crowd to them, she opened her mouth to say something but before she could Chihiro stalked away into the throng heading for the stairs.

"What's she doing?" asked Rin.

"Sorting us out," chuckled Linca. "Watch and learn Rin. She has a temper that matches Yubaba's."

Chihiro dashed up two flights of wooden stairs and came to the centre bridge that arched gracefully over the baths. The constant steam was starting to make the red paint bubble and peel from the teak. Things had obviously gone downhill with Haku distracted by her absence. She was sure it would be repainted rapidly when he returned. She marched across the bridge and stopped in the middle. She looked down at the chaos below. It really bothered her to see customers neglected, especially ones that had helped her as a child like the radish spirit had. Also, they had paid good money for this service; it was Haku's reputation that was being damaged here as well as Yubaba's. He had worked hard to knock this place back into shape, and it angered her that no one seemed willing or able to defend his interests when he was not there.

"Everyone shut up!" She roared at the crowd. To her surprise everyone did. Hundreds of faces turned to look at her.

"Okay," she thought "now what?" She saw the frog foreman hiding in a corner of the room, wringing his hands.

"You there! Do the job you're paid for!" The frog cowered under her gaze. "Get two staff on every customer!" The foreman sprang into action as if he had been kicked. "Rin, Linca do the same, I want everyone attended to in ten minutes." Rin and Linca's voices were added to the foreman's. Chihiro sighed and addressed the guests.

"Honoured customers, we are sorry for this disruption, in light of these events you will be refunded half your money." A smattering of applause floated up to her. "And drinks are on the house tonight," that was greeted with roars of approval. She stepped back from the rail, not sure why she had just defended the dragon in such a way, it was not like he deserved any favours at the moment.

"Accept that he saved me," she thought, "In truth, I'm heavily indebted to him."

"I should punish you for that" drawled a cracked voice. Chihiro turned to see Yubaba step onto the bridge. Her hair was dishevelled and falling from the huge bun on the top of her head and her plate-sized eyes were bloodshot. Chihiro suspected that she had had a shock as much as everyone else with the Lady's visit. "The nerve of it! A pathetic little human ordering my staff around like she owns the place. If that was not bad enough you offer my guests their money back and free drinks! Do you have any idea how much money I will lose tonight? You will beggar me!" Chihiro folded her arms, she had not noticed before but she was actually taller than the witch. Suddenly Yubaba seemed small and pitiable.

"Think of the bigger picture, if you had charged full price for the substandard service your guests received tonight how many would have returned? How much more money would you have lost when attendance slackened for a few weeks?"

"That still gives you no right to put on airs and act like the dragon does. This is my bath house you have no authority here." Chihiro grinned to herself and gestured to the baths which were full of happy customers and diligent workers.

"Forgive me Yubaba but your staff seem to think I do." She smiled a genuine smile as the witch eyed the scene below. She was actually growing rather fond of the cold-hearted old hag.

"Only because they think you speak for the dragon, you are under his protection; they fear him and so fear you." Mumbled the witch sulkily. Chihiro thought this was a rather odd thing to say but let it pass.

"Face it Yubaba, you were just as rattled as the rest of your staff and needed a bit of help. Admit it, I've just saved you a lot of money." Yubaba snorted but Chihiro could tell she was impressed despite herself.

"You've got a strong will I'll give you that." She said, she then turned away but called back over her shoulder.

"Tell your dragon that I accept his proposal and you can start next week."

"He's not my dragon!" She protested, "and start what?" But the witch had gone. She stood for a moment just ordering her thoughts.

"Mistress Chihiro?" The frog foreman stood at the end of the bridge holding a large blue book.

"What is it?" she asked with a heavy sigh. The foreman looked terrified of her; he came over and with a shaking hand gave her the book.

"Yubaba said you should look at this" He mumbled.

Chihiro flicked through the pages, it looked like an account book.

"What is this?" she asked.

"It's the accounts from last year; Yubaba said you should familiarise yourself with it if you are to be her assistant."

"ASSISTANT!" Chihiro squeaked, the frog practically ran from the bridge.

"When I see that dragon," Chihiro thought "He is going to do a lot of explaining."

Later that day Chihiro was sitting on the windowsill of her bedroom, watching the rain sluice down the glass. The green plain was flooding again. There seemed no real pattern to the weather here, it could rain or snow at practically any time of the year and be hot and balmy straight after. Linca assured her that there was more snow in winter, more rain in autumn, more bright breezy days in spring and more hot days in summer. However, the weather was not strictly seasonal and did practically what it liked.  
"The weather must be governed by the laws of magic, rather than natural law." She muttered.

"Got it in one." Hiccupped Linca. She was working her way through one of Chihiro's bottles of vodka. Not one to keep a good thing to herself, Linca had thoughtfully introduced Rin to the drink. Rin had drunk two small measures and was red-faced and rather tipsy. They had also eaten between them three bars of chocolate.

Rin giggled and popped another piece onto her tongue and grinned as it melted.

"I'm surprised humans actually have children. With food as good as this who needs men! This is better than roasted newt!" Linca laughed but Chihiro just smiled thinly and continued to look out the window.

"Oh dear," sighed Linca "When are the clouds going to lift?" Rin snorted

"When they make up I suppose. What happened to them?"

"I'm not deaf so stop talking about me as if I'm not here." Sighed Chihiro, Linca stuck her tongue out at her and then turned back to Rin.

"I don't know what happened. She won't tell me. She spent two days alone with him and not a word about it. It's unfair, I need gossip!"

Chihiro was too deep in thought to see Rin and Linca sneak up on her. They dragged her down from the window, Linca pinned her down and Rin sat on her stomach using her weight to keep her there.

"Tell us!" demanded Rin

"NO!" spat Chihiro angry at being overpowered.

"Tell us or we will tickle you," said Linca. Chihiro bit her lip she really was ticklish.

"That's it!" said Rin and tickled Chihiro's ribs, fingers instinctively finding the weak areas.

"Give in!" shouted Linca over Chihiro's indignant squeals. Chihiro was furious; she squirmed and even tried to bite Rin. What was worse she could not stop laughing, making her even angrier.

"Come on just tell us, we are soon to be family, we have a right to know." Said Rin. Chihiro was laughing so much she was getting a painful stitch.

"All right!" She gasped, Linca let go and she pushed Rin off her, and sat up.

"He… I…" she panted.

"Get on with it!" Snapped Linca.

"He kissed me and I insulted him." She blurted out. Rin and Linca looked at each other.

"Not good enough Chi, we need more detail than that." Said Linca. Suddenly Chihiro found herself telling the whole story from hospital to hot spring. It was actually a relief to get it all out.

"… and now he won't talk to me, he just gives me these cold looks, like I've ripped his heart out."

"You have." Replied Linca

"But I did not mean to!" protested Chihiro. "He just caught me off guard."

"It does not matter," said Linca, "think of it this way. How much agony and soul-searching must he have done before trying something like that? He obviously needed to know how you felt about him and on seeing your reaction he must think you find him repulsive." Chihiro cast her eyes down to the floor. "You know when I said you had trodden on his ego?" Chihiro nodded. "Well, you've actually jumped on it repeatedly while wearing running spikes. He's probably never made a move on anyone before; he has never wanted to or had to, half the female spirits on this plain would be queuing up if he let it be known he was in need of a mate. Now at his first, admittedly clumsy, attempt at showing his feelings he gets knocked back."

"This is not making her feel any better Linca." Said Rin

"I'm just stating the facts; the poor boy must have been in a real state of confusion and frustration to take a risk like that, especially with a mortal. You must have driven him to it."

"Wha… but I never…" Linca smiled at Chihiro's shocked face.

"You did not have to do anything, dear sister. Just by being you're charming, lovely self you had him pining for you within a week of your arrival. It was wonderful to see, but you never took advantage of it because you could not see it." Chihiro just stared at Linca as if she had grown a second head. She knew the sprite was making sense but it was very hard to take in.

"Do you love him?" asked Rin suddenly. Chihiro was annoyed by the question but kept her temper.

"I don't know." She said honestly. Linca threw up her hands and shouted.

"Oh come on! When you were dancing with each other I was surprised the floor did not melt!"

"Finding someone attractive is not the same as love Linca." Said Chihiro defensively.

"It's where it starts." Replied Rin.

"Why is everyone so desperate to get us together?" Chihiro sighed, exasperated.

"He is lonely." Said Rin, Chihiro flinched under her fey dark gaze. "You blew in here as a child and touched all our lives. We were enchanted by your kindness and compassion. You woke us all up, reminded us we should live instead of just exist. The effect you had on Haku was the same except more profound. He was a lost spirit before entering Yubaba's service. He has not been a corporal entity for very long and most of that time he has spent as a slave. After you left we all felt your loss but him most keenly of all. After he found his river he could have gone back to being just a bonded river spirit with no physical form. But you had changed him and thus he remained as he was, open to all the experiences of a worldly existence. Now you are back and grown up, you have turned his world upside down again just when he thought he had found his place in it." Rin shook her head at her silly mortal sister. "You just don't understand, with you around he is open to a whole barrage of emotions, without you he feels nothing except the absence of you." Chihiro's head was starting to spin.

"So what you are saying is he is addicted to the emotions I provoke in him?" Rin gave her a small smile.

"You won't be able to understand, but it's almost like that I suppose. I think we all are in a way, but there is much more to it than that."

"He loves you, you stubborn cow!" cried Linca, "If you would stop being such an idiot you would see that." It was all getting too much for Linca. "I brought you here hoping you would find happiness and you are ignoring your greatest chance at it. How many years do you have left to live?" Chihiro just shook her head mutely; she had never seen Linca this angry. The spirits white eyes had turned black, her face was bright blue and she was baring some very sharp canine teeth.

"Not enough of them! So why waste time? I demand that you shack up with him and make us all happy or I'm going to tan your hide!" Rin put a hand on the land spirits shoulder.

"Take it easy, you're scaring her."

"She should be scared," mumbled Linca. "She is stupid and ignorant and if she is not careful I'm going to rip her arms off and beat her with the soggy ends!" But the sprite seemed to have calmed somewhat. Chihiro meanwhile was white-faced; her lips were bloodless and almost as blue as Lincas.

"You really think he is in love with me?" she whispered, her eyes widened and she blinked several times. "Are you sure about this?" She asked voice weak. Both spirit women nodded, Linca vehemently, Rin more slowly. "But I'm mortal." She whispered.

"You really think that is a problem? He is not normal by this world's standards and you are certainly not normal by mortal standards. Should it not follow that normal rules will not apply to you two?" Said Rin.

"Whether or not you believe does not change a thing. He loves you and there is no denying it," Said Linca. "Just look at the way he treats you, you get away with murder, snapping at him and laughing at him while the rest of us hope he is in a good mood when we talk to him. If not we are liable to get an earful… or worse. The boy is clearly smitten."

The world seemed to crash down around Chihiro's ears.

"But I… Oh no… and after I… I did not know… I SLEPT IN THE SAME BED AS HIM! And all the time he was thinking… I'd I've not…" She gave up lost for words. Linca grinned to herself, it had been difficult but she had finally forced the message through her sister's thick skull. Now for phase two of the plan, while she was still in shock and pliable. Linca put the bottle of vodka in Chihiro's hands.

"You can't do anything about this until he gets back. You must talk to him and forewarned is forearmed, but for now, have a drink, it will take your mind off it." Chihiro grasped the bottle as if it was a lifeline. Rin and Linca looked at each other as she took mouthful after mouthful of premium, neat, triple distilled vodka.

"Again your advice is flawed Linca," she said between swigs. "What in both our worlds am I going to say to him? Hi Haku, Rin and Linca are of the opinion that you love me endlessly, is this true? Come on! I may be stupid but I'm not that stupid." She took several more mouthfuls.

"She is drinking a lot," whispered Rin to Linca. "I think we've upset her."

"Na," said Linca, "This is normal, you should have seen her after exams, she nearly drunk me under the table, and that is saying something. She will see things much more clearly after getting so drunk she can't stand. With hangovers come clarity, works every time." Chihiro swore at them under her breath.

"They always talk about me as if I am not in the room, I hate that!" She had no idea that she was being artfully manipulated.

"Besides," whispered Linca in a voice too low for human ears. "The dragon is returning tonight. The Mistress of the keys told me that she had been instructed to prepare his rooms. Looks like our sisters little apology on the platform worked."

"So how is getting her blind drunk going to help?" asked Rin.

"The two of them are like a pair of Pandas, very difficult to get to mate!" chuckled Linca "They need a little intervention; He will come down here to see her if I know anything about him and when he does she will be much more docile and much less headstrong than normal. He will naturally wish to protect her in such a state and then with any luck, I sit back and watch the sparks fly. I'm unashamedly medalling in things that are not my business and thoroughly enjoying it."

"This is not wise, it could all go very wrong." Hissed Rin.

"But it could all go so very right, It's worth the risk, you want to see her happy don't you?" Rin did not reply, Linca took the bottle from Chihiro exchanging it for some chocolate. It would not do at all if Chihiro were to pass out or poison herself with excess alcohol.

"But I'm sure I could salvage the situation." Linca thought "she can't argue if she can't speak." Linca gave the bottle to Rin.

"Chihiro and I are going to instruct you in the difficult skill that is female drunkenness." She turned to Chihiro. "Assume the position!" She commanded pompously. Chihiro giggled and pulled her covers and pillows off her bed and arranged them on the floor, she then sprawled over them dramatically, as if fainting. "Chocolate!" Cried Linca, Chihiro handed out a bar to each of them.

"Check!" she smartly saluted Linca.

"Horrendously alcoholic libation!" Cried Linca.

"Check!" said Rin holding up the bottle with a laugh.

"Are we all sprawling comfortably?" asked Linca imperiously. She received two firm nods. "Then we may begin." To Rin's surprise, Lincas white eyes turned on her. "Now Rin how many lovers have you had?" Chihiro's hand shot up as if she was in class. "Ah, I see we have a question, well what is it?" Linca was grinning broadly; her authoritative air was slipping fast.

"Are you going to ask me that question? If so you should know I've never had a lover." Chihiro could not keep a silly smile from her face.

"What a stupid question Chihiro, make one up. It's the gossip we want not the truth." Chihiro nodded trying to look serious. They both turned back to an uncomfortable looking Rin.

"I'm not telling you that sort of stuff." Mumbled Rin.

"Then you have definitely not had enough to drink." Said Chihiro. Rin eyed them both suspiciously.

"Don't worry," said Linca. "After a few more drinks you will tell us everything and not even remember that you have, and the best part is neither will we."


	32. The demon drink

Haunted all night by dreams that he wished he would not have, Haku decided to return to the bathhouse. His home had just seemed so empty; he needed to be around people and to speak to Chihiro. If he could just explain away the kiss as a moment of weakness or confusion, they could be friends again. It had been the look on her face that had hurt, surprise and shock. She had never felt anything that approached the way he felt about her. But at least he now knew how she felt, that had been his objective, but it still pained him. He missed her terribly already and her apology had given him foolish hopes that he dare not entertain.

On his return, he had found the bathhouse running smoothly but had reports on his desk of the earlier disruption. He was surprised by Chihiro's part in it and was impressed at how she had handled the situation; he would have done no differently. It was late so he sent Meeka to her room and sat looking out at the moonlit landscape.

"If only we can be friends again." He whispered. "But would that be enough?" he wondered. "It's better than nothing I suppose; at least she will still be close to me."

He walked from his office with a new spring in his step. He would find her and apologise right now, then everything would be back as it was. He came down the corridor and could hear giggling and girlish squealing. Puzzled he quickened his steps; he came to the door and heard Chihiro's soft lilting voice through it. He reflected on the kiss they had shared. Before she had pulled away it had been tender and wonderful. Her soft lips and yielding body had stirred in him such a lust, that all he had wanted to do was take her to bed and keep her there for a week.

"Lady save me how I want her." He whispered closing his eyes and trying to clear his mind of such things before he saw her. He sighed and knocked on the door. There was no answer, but more laughter was coming from the room. Knowing it was wrong but unable to control his curiosity he quietly opened the door a crack and peeked through it. Chihiro was lying on her back, Rin was sitting cross-legged opposite her and Linca was sitting with her back to him.

"Scott!" said Chihiro "Scott was harmless."

"No he wasn't, he really liked you, and you let him kiss you so there must have been something you liked about him." Laughed Linca. Haku's hands tightened on the door. Jealous rage flooded through him. Who had kissed her? He would rip out their throat!" He repressed a growl and listened.

"He was nice, a real gentleman. His freckles were cute and he was clever, intelligence is sexy." Linca smiled to herself, she knew Haku was at the door, she could feel waves of anger crackling through the air. Chihiro was oblivious and Rin was too drunk to sense his presence.

"What was his kiss like?" Stirred Linca.

"Lovely, soft and warm, just like him."

"Then what?" hiccupped Rin.

"Then nothing, Zeniba made me punch him for her own bizarre reasons." Haku decided to give Zeniba a lot of jewels next time he saw her.

"What about Haku's kiss?" asked Rin. Haku gripped the door so hard it was splintering into his hand.

"How could she tell them?" he thought, he felt betrayed and very, very angry.

"Now that was a contrast." Sighed Chihiro, "completely different."

"Why?" asked Linca pleased at the direction the conversation was headed.

"Well he was gentle but… I got the impression that he did not want to be… it was almost desperate."

"On a scale of one to ten?" Asked Linca who was having trouble keeping a straight face.

"11!" Replied Chihiro with no hesitation.

"Oh" smiled Linca, "that good was it?"

"Scary" muttered Chihiro.

"Oh hush!" said Rin. "The way he looks at you, you should be happy, not scared. I wish someone wanted me that much."

"Yes" chuckled Linca, "stop making us all envious and jump him. You're not that naive to not know that you would enjoy it." Chihiro sighed.

"It's not just that, I see when he looks at me. I admit I'm flattered but when I look into those gorgeous green eyes I see…" she trailed off.

"What?" slurred Rin.

"Forever, I guess." She whispered. "And I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet, that's what scares me."

"Pah!" said Linca, "you're a coward."

"So would you be if you were me!" she cried, "I've ignored the obvious, hoping it would all go away but…"

"So if he were to try again?" asked Linca. Chihiro gave a bitter laugh.

"Like that's going to happen!"

"But if he did?" pressed Linca

"I don't know," whined Chihiro. "Stop pushing me. He's a God, I'm a human."

"You can't use that as an excuse." Countered Linca, "He's handsome, no, gorgeous and wants you. What is the problem?"

"I'm frightened, I told you." She whispered.

"Of what?" asked Linca.

"Of my feelings, I don't want to get hurt! I've had enough of that for two lifetimes. My heart can't take anymore!"

"YES!" thought Linca "Now we get down to it! This is your cue dragon, she is ready for you."

Chihiro sat up at the loud rap on the door.

"Haku!" she greeted him warmly as he entered without waiting to be invited. "What are you doing here already?" Haku glanced at the chocolate wrappers and the half-empty bottle of that strong drink Linca liked.

"Are you drunk?" he asked. The three girls fell about laughing.

"Of course I am!" Chihiro giggled, "and getting drunker." She snatched the bottle from Linca and took a deliberately long draft. She coughed and spluttered but recovered and smiled at him, eyes watering. He took the bottle from her.

"I would not have got you this if I knew this is what you would do with it." Chihiro stood, wobbled and put her hands on her hips.

"Well excuse me, but after discovering that you had made me an assistant to psycho witch; I thought that I needed some girl talk with my sisters. Besides you weren't talking to me so I had a little get together with them." She cast down her eyes and plucked at the blankets on the floor with her toes.

"Why does she have to be so adorable?" he thought

"Well I'm sorry about that, we will discuss it later."

"No!" she stamped her foot, "we will discuss it now! Why did you ignore me? Do you know how much it hurt me?" He took her by the arm his green eyes flashed annoyance, but he knew now was not the time to lose his temper.

"I really think you should go to bed." He said gently.

"No, talk to me!" She whined.

"This is neither the time nor the place." He said in his most patient voice, "and you're soon to be sisters have had enough gossip for one night."

"You can never have enough gossip, the night is young, have a drink dragon!" Cried Linca, Haku looked at the ceiling for a moment and sighed.

"I think I'm going to have to ask you, two ladies, to leave." He was immediately assailed on all sides by cries of…

"No… they're not leaving this is my room, how dare you!"

"I'm not leaving…"

"No I'm not go, we're not even drink!" Rin did not seem to realise her speech was really suffering. Haku closed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

"Don't do it," he told himself. "Don't lose your temper; it will just make them worse!"

"Besides," mumbled Chihiro. "I have to meet the Lord and the Lady soon, I need something to help me sleep."

"You are hardly in a fit state to start thinking about that. It's something that will need careful consideration when you are sober." Haku could feel his irritation increasing by the moment, he would have to do something soon or he would end up doing something he regretted.

"And I've done enough stupid things for this century," he thought.

Chihiro glowered at him; she was still angry and did not like being told what to do by him. She grabbed the bottle of Vodka and deliberately drunk from it in front of him.

"OOOO," said Linca, impressed. Things were not exactly going according to her plan. Chihiro seemed to have lost her inhibitions, but instead of calming her she seemed even more confrontational than ever. Luckily Haku seemed to realise she meant none of it and was acting just as Linca thought he would. The vodka bottle disappeared completely.

"Hey!" Shouted Chihiro. "You don't own me dragon!"

"Maybe not," he replied. "But I care about what you do to yourself. So I apologise."

"For what?" asked Chihiro.

"This…" He grabbed her around the waist and slung her over his shoulder, as if she weighed nothing at all. Chihiro squeaked and kicked out in fury.

"Get off me you pig! You can't do this to me! I'm going to hate you forever!" Haku ignored the threats and walked out of the room, the door slamming behind him.

"Well, that went well," said Linca standing up and clearing away the mess. Rin rolled across the floor as Linda pulled the blanket out from underneath her.

"Hey!" she slurred, "Your no drink, you cheated…" Linca smiled.

"I've been drinking this stuff for centuries; I'm practically immune to alcohol." She helped Rin up.

"Come on, I'll help you to bed."

"Sen," mumbled Rin.

"She will be fine," said Linca, "he will take good care of her and maybe, just maybe she will see his tender side."

Chihiro gave up struggling in the elevator and Haku put her down but did not let her go, keeping an arm around her waist. She muttered to herself under her breath, trying to ignore the pleasant feeling of his lithe body pressed closely to hers.  
"Stupid dragon, you always spoil my fun, telling me what to do all the time."

"I'm not telling you what to do, I'm giving you no option, you need a bit of help. Now be gracious and stop whingeing." He was actually finding the situation quite amusing now.

"Yes, my parents thought they were helping me too." She grumbled.

"Ouch," he thought, "that hurt."

"Well if you want to hate me that's fine but obviously you can't be trusted to look after yourself." The lift stopped and Chihiro twisted from his grip and stalked up the dark hallway between Haku's and Yubaba's quarters.

"Look after myself!" She almost shrieked. "I can look after myself; I've looked after myself for years without your so-called help. I've survived pressures most would have buckled under." She stormed up the hall in a reasonably straight line and turned around before his door.

"And as for you're so-called excuse for a rescue! I was the one who had to get myself out of there, you were barely involved! I had to stab a poor man to escape. I had to face the fear in his eyes; he honestly thought I was going to kill him! He could have died for all I know." The alcohol was fuelling her temper, Chihiro pushed open his door and wobbled a bit, her feet did not seem to want to go where she told them too. She blinked trying to get her bearings. The door closed behind her and she turned back to him. Haku seemed a little fuzzy.

"Was it really that bad?" He asked quietly.

"No," she spat, "it was worse! You half drowned me, but along with my dunking I had to involve Scott, who has probably had to leave the country by now because he helped me."

"Scott!" Haku snarled the name. His own temper was VERY close to boiling point. He knew from Linca that this was the human that had been interested in Chihiro. Linca had done her best to force them together; the thought of anyone else so much as putting an arm around Chihiro made him tremble with rage. This human was HIS, she belonged to him if she but knew it. "Why did you involve him?" He snapped. Had he known that the human that aided her was the one that had been competing for her affections, the wretch would have been lucky to walk away with his life and certainly not with an emerald.

"I could not walk fifty miles to your river Haku, I needed a quick getaway and in my world, that means a car and a driver." Haku was taken aback, it had never entered his mind that she would not be able to travel that sort of distance; it was easy for him and most spirits to travel relatively quickly in an alternate form or by magic. It had never occurred to him that Chihiro had no such means at her disposal.

Strangely this oversight, which he fully admitted was his fault, seemed only to infuriate him further.

"Such an obliging friend," he drawled "What was in it for him?" Chihiro glared up at him, for the moment ignoring the rigid set of his jaw or the dangerous flashes of anger in his expressive eyes.

"Nothing, he is a gentleman; he never ordered me around or stopped talking to me. I punched him and he still treated me with respect, he is the most honourable person I know!" Haku knew he was being stupid and knew he could prevent it, but it felt so good when he let go of the restraints on his temper.

"Did you form this opinion of him before or after he kissed you?" he growled. Chihiro stared at him, knowing she was pushing her luck but unwilling to back down to him.

"That has nothing to do with my opinion of him. But since you seem to be taking an interest I'll enlighten you further on the subject." She moved closer to him, so close her clothes were brushing his; she glared up into molten jade eyes and smiled a self-satisfied smile.

"I liked him, I more than just liked him, I could have fallen for him." She stepped back a pace. "But I could not let myself fall for him."

"Why?" asked Haku in a strained voice. For some reason he had a lump in his throat, making it difficult for him to speak. Chihiro looked at his face, he could have been an open book, everything he was feeling was written there. His eyes held a deep pain but also frustration.

"He truly is beautiful, even when upset." She thought fuzzily, her concentration slipping for a moment. She felt her anger melt, she did not play games with people but without realising it, she had been using what Linca and Rin had told her to hurt him and gain an advantage. She was not cruel, never had been and was not going to start. She heaved a sigh.

"I was already in love." She mumbled, she saw him blink and hastily added. "With this place and its people. A place I thought never to see again." He swallowed and shifted his feet, relaxing a little but still on edge, he could still feel his pulse beating rapidly in his throat.

"Are you regretting your decision to return?" He asked softly. The question brought her up short, nearly sobering her, but the haziness of vision and mind remained. She giggled knowing it was inappropriate but she could not help it, he looked so serious as well as handsome. He frowned, thoroughly confused.

"Are you toying with me Chihiro?" he asked annoyance starting to build again.

"No, I'm not," She smirked. "And I'll have you know that you confuse me just as much as I confuse you." She felt tired all of a sudden and sighed. "I guess we are just very different." The frown faded from his face and was replaced by something softer.

"Not that different, I'm just not used to emotional creatures like yourself and even less used to the emotions you rouse in me." He moved a little closer to her. Chihiro sensed the shift in his mood and worried; she was on much less firm ground here than she was with his hurt and anger. His moods were like quicksilver. She felt nervous.

"Well, maybe you should spend less time with me." She mumbled. Slowly he enclosed her hands in his; an amused smile touched his lips when he felt her tremble slightly.

"I can't do that," he replied smoothly. "I like feeling what I feel, even though you drive me to the edge of my sanity." His eyes had that predatory gleam in them again, Chihiro felt herself flush and hoped he would think it was the alcohol. No such luck, he gave a surprised chuckle. He had not expected he could affect her so. He pulled gently on her hands, guiding her to his bedroom.

"Haku?" She said in a small voice.

"Yes," he answered, still smiling.

"I'm not sure I'm drunk enough for this." He laughed good-naturedly.

"Such a dirty mind for one so young!" he teased, "Such a thing had not even entered my head."

"Liar." She mumbled. He grinned and placed a hand on her lower back directing her faltering steps to his bedside. He flung back the covers and practically had to lift her onto the bed. He pulled the covers up to her chin and smiled again, she was scowling at him which was incredibly endearing on her delicate face.

"Are we friends again?" He whispered, crouching down beside the bed so he was at her eye level.

"Friends don't kiss each other." She grumbled. "Or look at each other like you look at me."

"Which looks would those be?" He said wide-eyed, feigning innocence.

"You know what I'm talking about." She mumbled.

"What you mean these looks." He pulled a ridiculous face at her. She could not help but laugh.

"That's better," he said and kissed her forehead. "See," he said, "friends kiss too. Now sleep little one, I don't envy you the head that you will have tomorrow, if you are lucky you'll sleep it off. If you need me just call, I'll be right over there." He pointed to a small futon which was folding itself out flat as he spoke. She nodded, feeling dizzy and glad he would be near if she needed him. She closed her eyes. Haku threw himself onto the futon and immediately regretted it; it was much harder than his bed. He turned over with a groan and tried to get comfortable.

"Haku?" She whispered.

"Mmm?" he replied.

"I'm sorry I got angry with you, I did not mean to, you're just so…"

"It's okay Chihiro, go to sleep." He cooed soothingly, "it's all forgotten." She gave a contented sigh and snuggled down.

It took Haku a long time to get to sleep. His senses seemed to be more sharp than usual. The sound of her breathing was a constant reminder of how close she was. Her scent filled the room, tantalising him. The fact that her warm, soft body was only feet from him would give him no peace. He tried to think of other things, he had plenty that could occupy his mind but his thoughts always returned to the fact that Chihiro was asleep in his bed. He sighed and gave up, accepting that sleep would elude him this night.


	33. Apologies

Chihiro awoke in the middle of the night, it was pitch black. She was frightened and for a moment could not remember where she was.

"Haku?" She whispered, "Haku are you awake?"

"Yes?" came the reply. Pain stabbed in her head and nausea twisted her stomach.

"Haku" She breathed, I'm… I don't feel good." A dull orb of light glowed near the futon the dragon lay on. He rose and walked over to her, the dim orb following like a willow-the-wisp.

"I'm not surprised, with the amount you have drunk." He gave a low chuckle.

"I know," she whispered squinting at him, "it was stupid, I'm not a student anymore. If I'm going to adapt to life here, I need to grow up a bit." The bed sunk a little as he perched on it.

"Well we all make mistakes," he said placing a cool hand on her forehead. Chihiro's stomach twisted, and she winced. Haku smiled and helped her sit up. A bowl appeared in her lap she needed no explanation for what that was for.

"Yes but I seem to make a great number of mistakes." She mumbled, her stomach rolled, she groaned and grabbed the bowl. He held her hair back and spoke to her in a soothing voice. When it was over, he wiped her face with a hot cloth and gave her water to clean her mouth out with. The vomit in the bowl disappeared. He sat back and swung his legs up onto the bed; he knew Chihiro was not finished so he may as well get comfortable. Chihiro also sat back and moaned again, her stomach let her know it had not finished making her pay for her abuse of it. Haku slipped an arm around her shoulders.

"I knew that one day I would have you moaning in my bed." He chuckled trying to cheer her up. But Chihiro's sense of humour seemed to have disappeared with the three bars of chocolate that her stomach had rejected. All she wanted was to be comforted. She rested her head on his shoulder; he slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. She nuzzled into his chest and sighed; she could hear his heartbeat, slow and even. It soothed her.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked, "you were furious earlier."

"I'm astonished you remember," He smiled down at her, enjoying her closeness.

"As if you have never done anything you regret" She grumbled. She saw his shadowy face change in the half-light. His eyes lost their sparkle.

"Yes, well I have apologies…"

"Save it for the morning." Said Chihiro, "When you have my full attention, then I can concentrate completely on you prostrating yourself before me." She then sat upright and grabbed the bowl being noisily sick.

Haku looked after her all night. When she dozed off still cuddled into him, he gently lifted her up and with a little subtly applied magic tucked her back in the bed. He retreated to the futon. Somehow seeing her be sick five times had cooled his ardour somewhat, and he managed to get a few hours sleep.

Chihiro awoke in the late morning with the worst hangover of her life.  
"How are you feeling?" said a very cheery, very awake voice. Meeka opened the curtains, making Chihiro think she had been stabbed in the head by a beam of light.

"Terrible!" she croaked.

"Well, master Haku said you would not be feeling well. So he asked me to give you this." She handed Chihiro a big glass of what looked like watery grey milk. It smelt of fish.

"Drink up," Said Meeka, "you'll feel much better afterwards." Chihiro swallowed a mouthful; it tasted like fish oil.

"Oh, Meeka yuck! What is in this?" But she dutifully took another sip.

"Dried eel's testicles and minced cod intestines." Replied the spirit happily. Chihiro narrowly missed spraying the spirit with what was in her mouth. Somehow she managed to swallow. "In fact," continued the wood spirit, "I don't know why he chose such an antiquated cure for nausea. Kamaji could have dosed you with some ginger and peppermint tea, and you would have felt better in no time."

"I'll bet I know!" Chihiro thought. "Payment for a nights disturbed sleep, evil lizard. I suppose I deserve it; I was a bit out of control."

"Anyway," continued Meeka. "He said he would like to see you at your convenience when he returns this afternoon. Yubaba has requested a meeting; also Rin popped her head in an hour ago to tell you she wants a lesson with you if you've chosen her. She will be waiting in practice hall three just before dinner. " Chihiro did not feel up to sparring with the Witch or Rin, but she thought she owed Haku at least a thank you.

She knocked back the fish concoction and followed it with two glasses of water. Meeka left her some clothes and some breakfast beside the bed, which she refused to touch. She snuggled down into Haku's bed again; the pillows smelt of him, she felt guilty about robbing him of his bed. He was a busy person.

"This is all Linca's fault." She grumbled.

Chihiro did eventually get up and dressed. She decided to tackle Yubaba first. She strolled into the witches' office and slammed the account book down on her desk.  
"These accounts are discussing! You have no idea how much cash you have coming in or going out; I could not even find a monthly total of the staff pay."

"What should I care about these things?" Snarled the witch, "As long as I have enough to keep me in the manner to which I'm accustomed why should I trouble myself?"

"But this place could be haemorrhaging money, and you don't know about it."

"Ha!" was all the witch said, she lit a cigarette and blew smoke into Chihiro's face making her cough. Chihiro tried another approach.

"You do realise that you could have much more money than you think?" Chihiro smiled as Yubaba's eyes rounded

"You may have a point there," she mumbled as she flicked through the account book.

"How long will it take you to sort this out?"

Chihiro shrugged. "About a month or two and I'll need access to your records."

"Fine!" snapped the witch. "I'll see you again when it's done; you may leave." Chihiro was surprised that the meeting had been so short and relatively easy. She did not need to be told twice however and picked up the book. Yubaba was not even looking at her anymore; she was writing something with her highly ornate pen. Chihiro turned to leave.

"You know." Said the witch lightly, "you may be worth the exorbitant wage he is making me pay you. I may even do has he has told me and speak to the Gods for you." Chihiro was stunned.

"You'll be my third speaker?"

"You have your uses." Mumbled the witch still writing, "then, of course, there is this prophecy my perfect sister is so concerned about."

"Prophecy?" Chihiro was lost now. Yubaba chuckled.

"Not even your dragon knows about that. Ask my sister, though I doubt she will tell you." Chihiro frowned but did not want to try and get any more from the witch and risk falling out of her favour. She thanked her and bowed and left.

"Great!" she thought as she marched up the hall. "Now as well as everything else I have a prophecy hanging over my head. Oh well, It's not like I can do anything about it, especially if no one is going to tell me what it's about."

Next, she walked into Haku's quarters, not thinking to knock as he was expecting her. She found him looking out of his windows in his office.  
"Looks like your thinking deeply." He jumped, obviously surprised. "And there was me thinking that the great dragon was infallible. Guess even he can be surprised sometimes." He gave her a lazy smile.

"I was just thinking about tomorrow."

"Oh yes, make or break time isn't it?" He nodded, there was an awkward silence for a moment then Chihiro decided to make the first move.

"I want to apologise for my behaviour last night, I embarrassed you, and I guess I deserved the hangover cure you provided."

"Apology accepted, but I'm partly to blame I suppose. And sorry for the fish guts, I was still a little angry this morning. But it does work." He slumped down into his chair with a sigh. Chihiro remained standing. "I've been thinking a lot since… since my mistake and I owe you another apology for that. I've never done that before; I don't exactly know why I did it, I just seemed to lose control of the situation somehow. I… I hope I have not lost your trust."

He stumbled over the words, his eyes were fixed on his desk, and he would not look at her. "My behaviour afterwards was unforgivable. I dishonoured myself and hurt you. I can only say that I was confused." Chihiro had heard enough, he was really struggling, and it pained her to see it. She closed the distance between them and crouched down next to his chair and placed her hands on his left arm. All she could feel was tension. She looked up at him and brushed his dark green hair back from his face in a motherly fashion. It was fine and silky.

"No more apologies, we embarrassed each other, it happens. We are good enough friends to rise above this, don't you think?" She saw relief in his eyes as he nodded.

"So let's forget about all this, we are both stubborn, and I'm pretty sure this will not be the last argument we have." She stood smiling now, "let's start again." She held out her hand to him.

"Hi, I'm Chihiro Ogino first class idiot." He smiled and replied.

"You can call me Haku. I'm an arrogant fool." They shook hands.

"Right, that's it, over and done with. I'm sorry I could not get you grovelling on the floor into my busy schedule, but I've got to go. Rin will be waiting for me." She chuckled, and he smiled.

"I hope you don't mind, but I think she will push me harder than you would." He laughed.

"Probably, I think you made the right choice, besides you would not get much work done if you watched me with my shirt off all the time." She grinned and blushed, but only a little.

"Well that would be one perk of working with you, but it would harm my concentration." Chihiro's brown eyes shone with mischief. "As nice as discussing you topless is, I have to go." She waltzed out the door.

Haku found it hard to concentrate on his work after she left. He took to staring out of the windows again. He felt the pull of his river; it would increase until he returned to it. No longer being a free spirit had a price, but his life made little sense without it. He could put up with it for a week or two more before it started to bother him. Chihiro needed her friends around her at a time like this. He worried about the bonding and Yubaba's part in it. Nothing could be done about it now, by this time tomorrow it would nearly be over.


	34. The pendant-  Or, beware of dragons bearing gifts

Chihiro met Rin in practice hall three.

"Well nice you could join me," said the spirit sarcastically. She looked a little pale and she had dark circles under her eyes. Chihiro recognised a hangover when she saw one.

"You're not going to go easy on me just because you puked all night are you?"

"Who told you that?" She growled.

"No one, I was sick a little myself, so you must have been really ill."

Rin grimaced "I was a bit" she mumbled. "But now I'm better and a hard work out is just what we both need." Then the woman grinned. "What did Haku do to you?"

"Put me to bed," said Chihiro evasively.

"Did he leave you there alone or did he…"

"RIN!" Snapped Chihiro sharply. The spirit woman laughed.

"Its okay Sen I'm not really that interested, I'm not like Linca. I accept that you may want to have secrets." Chihiro grunted and picked up a staff.

After an hour of being made a complete fool of and falling on her bottom at least twice (when she dropped her guard and received a friendly smack in the shins.) Rin called a halt.

"Let's take a breather." Chihiro slumped to the floor and took the offered bottle of water.

"I'm never going to get the hang of this." She gasped. Rin squatted beside her; she was perspiring but seemed otherwise unaffected. She took the water back from Chihiro before she drank too much of it.

"You're not that bad, it takes a long time before you make any headway in something as skilful as this. I'm not trying to insult you but you are not a natural at this, it will take time and humiliation." Chihiro pulled a face at her. Subconsciously her fingers brushed her pendant, as they always seemed to do when she needed reassurance.

"Chihiro?"

"Mm?"

"Where did you get that pendant?" Rin's brow was creased and her hands were clenched tight. Chihiro looked down and saw that the obsidian mirror with the silver dragon twisted around it was resting on top of her tunic. It had slipped out during her lesson. She tucked it back under her clothes, she did not know why but she did not like other people seeing it. Rin watched her and her features tensed.

"Did Haku give that to you?" Chihiro nodded frowning herself now, Rin's deep brown eyes were full of repressed emotion.

" _What is bothering her so much?"_  She wondered.

"Err… what did he tell you it was?"

"A talisman, to keep me safe." Rin nearly snapped her staff she gripped it so tightly.

"That's not what it is! It's…" She clamped her mouth shut looking embarrassed at her outburst.

"What?" Asked Chihiro starting to worry.

"You should ask him about it. It's a delicate matter and really none of my business."

"Rin just tell me." Sighed Chihiro. Rin squirmed, but eventually met Chihiro's gaze and blurted out.

"What he has given you is called a Tac'Tal." Rin made a clicking noise with her tongue when she said the word. Chihiro knew she would never be able to copy the sound. "The making of these is a very ancient practice and I've only ever seen two of them."

"Get to the point Rin." Chihiro was rapidly running out of patience. Rin squeezed her eyes shut and mumbled.

"It's a mark of ownership." Chihiro felt her stomach sink. She turned very pale.

"Ownership?" She said weakly.

Rin nodded. "It is given by powerful spirits to less powerful ones who are then bonded to their masters. It was done for various purposes, it lets everyone know that if you are harmed you will incur the wrath of your owner." Chihiro felt numb. "It has benefits for the wearer," said Rin lamely. "Any spirit of power would instantly know you were protected. You will be able to see through illusion. He will always know where you are…"

"I DON'T CARE!" Chihiro roared. All of a sudden she was furious. "He deceived me! And I was so nice to him just now! How could he not tell me about this?"

"Sen calm down." Said Rin, shocked by her shouting.

"No!" she yelled, "I'm going straight up there and finding out exactly what is going on in that inhuman mind of his, and this time he's not going to run away from me!" Sweat soaked and still with her staff in her hand she stalked out of the hall. Rin trotted after her wishing she had not said anything. Chihiro nearly knocked Linca over in the corridor.

"What's going on?" She squeaked. Chihiro did not answer she just marched away, staff in hand. Rin stopped by Linca and watched Chihiro disappear around a corner.

"Well?" Asked Linca.

"I think Chihiro is going to kill Haku," Linca's face twisted in anger. A string of Russian curses were shouted in Rin's face. Linca turned on her heal and stalked away in the opposite direction to Chihiro.

"They deserve each other!" She yelled over her shoulder. "All that careful planning, WASTED! I hope they do kill each other!" Rin decided to spend the rest of the day where other people were not, at least that way no one would shout at her.

* * *

Chihiro strutted into Haku's office. It was hard to believe she had left this room in such a good mood an hour before. She stood before his desk breathing hard with sweat still rolling down her face. Haku looked up from his herbal purchase order and blinked owlishly.

"I did not expect you back." He glanced at her flushed face and the staff she was holding in a white-knuckled grip. The scent of fury stung his nostrils. "Just what are you planning on doing with that?" He asked casually.

"Cracking your skull open." She snapped. He sat back carefully and folded his arms, he kept watching her, wary of her dangerous mood.

"Might I inquire as to why you are going to beat me to a bloody pulp?" He said in the same conversational tone.

"You gave me a Tacy-Tal thing." She said hopelessly mispronouncing the ancient word.

"Ah," he said and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I had hoped you would not find out about that, there was no reason for you to know. I only remembered after I had given it to you that Rin was reputed to have been bonded by one before she came here. I had other things on my mind at the time however." Chihiro stored that nugget of information away, but was too angry to think about Rin's past at the moment.

"Hoped I would not find out? I did not need to know? How can you think like that?" She slapped her free hand down on his desk in temper. "How can you have talked of trust between us only an hour ago when you have been deceiving me for weeks? You're as bad as Zeniba, giving gifts with hidden powers."

"I never lied to you Chihiro," he said, still icily calm but his eyes blazed. "I made you something to keep you safe. You took it and thanked me."

"It was a gift," She spat. "I took it for granted that it was benign, not full of hidden magic."

"Well let this be a lesson to you," he sighed, "This world is dangerous, most things you will be offered by beings of power will manipulate you in some way."

"I trusted you! You're supposed to be my friend!" Her voice dropped to a hiss. "Just because I took comfort from you on midsummer's night did not give you leave to stamp your mark on me. I'm not a pet you can collar."

He stood, she could tell he was angry but he was holding himself in check. She had had an effect on him; a month ago he would not have been so restrained.

"I gave you the Tac'Tal because I was worried about your trip to the other world. I needed a way to track you. As you know my power is severely limited in your world. Giving you a Tac'Tal enabled me to maintain a connection to you without a mass expenditure of strength. It also has other benefits, for example, you will be able to see through illusion. I will not find you walking on thin air again while believing you are in a perfectly ordinary room. The talisman does have connotations, it was used as a form of enslavement in the past, however, these days it is normally exchanged between life mates and the like." Chihiro frowned, it sounded reasonable but she still felt bitter.

"What are life mates?" She could guess but wanted to be sure. Haku just looked at her, eyes unreadable.

"Lovers who wish to be joined together forever. It does not happen very often here, for immortals forever is a very long time." Chihiro was struck by the sadness of that, were spirits really that selfish? But she could sort of understand familiarity, especially over thousands of years, could breed contempt. She also felt anger rising in her again, unreasonable, powerful anger.

"That makes things worse Haku, it's like getting me to accept a marriage proposal without knowing what I was doing." Haku dropped his eyes to his desk.

"I'm not sorry, I won't apologise for what I did. The Tac'Tal is strong with my magic and it was useful, it helped me rescue you." Chihiro's grip slackened on her staff, she looked into his face, and she swore she saw hurt flickering in his eyes.

" _Why should he be hurt? I'm the victim here not him."_ She thought.

"Let me ask you this, would you have worn it had I told you what it was?"

"Of course not!" She snapped without thinking. He moved around the desk and stood before her.

"My point exactly, you needed my protection, I gave it to you. I did not tell you because I knew you would be stubborn about it and would have overreacted like you are now. I'm not sorry, it's working and it will continue to do so as long as you wear it. No spirit with half a brain would dare even think of harming you with my mark on you, not if they enjoy breathing. Ever wondered why Yubaba became so civil to you all of a sudden? She knew, she could feel my magic on you and dare not even insult you."

"Well I must say that is very modest of you," drawled Chihiro.

"It's the truth." He replied simply. Chihiro had had enough of his presumptuousness and cool superiority.

" _Why does everyone assume they know what is best for me?"_

"Oh yes, how silly of me! I forgot that you are the mighty Haku. No one more powerful or more righteous. We all bend to your will or suffer the consequences." The dragon's eyes narrowed.

"What about you? The virtuous Chihiro, so self-sufficient, so obstinate. Everyone kept at arm's length; no one is allowed to get close to you in case you get hurt."

"Why should I let people like you get close to me, when all you want to do is take advantage of me?"

Haku's face drained of all colour, making him look almost dead. Chihiro was aware that she must be almost purple-faced with her anger, the complete opposite of him. Her grip tightened on her staff.

"I thought you had forgiven me for that transgression?" he said quietly, Chihiro just glared at him. "You want an abject apology? Fine!" He raised his voice.

"I'm sorry Lady Chihiro that I invaded your personal space and committed so heinous a crime as to kiss you."

"HA!" She shouted, "You call that a kiss? I've had better kisses off dogs!" Haku was stunned for a moment and at a loss to know what to say. If anyone else had dared insult him in such a way they would at least be unconscious by now.

" _But with her, I'm rendered powerless. I could no more harm her than harm myself."_ However he was not completely defenceless, he would make her pay dearly for that remark. He gave a cruel smile as an idea came to him; all he needed was the right ammunition. Luckily he had it.

"That's not what you told Linca yesterday. I believe you rated me eleven out of ten." It was Chihiro's turn to be speechless; it took her a moment for her to find her voice.

"You were spying on us?"

He smiled again, pleased he had shaken her. "Just a little bit."

Chihiro was incensed. "I can't believe you… you… you bastard!" Haku laughed.

"Well if you lie the truth will come back to haunt you little one." Chihiro stood straighter and gave him an imperious look, trying desperately to salvage some of her tattered dignity.

"I lied to them; they forced me to tell what I would have liked to have kept secret. For some misguided reason, I decided to protect your reputation, just like I did yesterday when your Staff were running around like headless chickens. I lied to them about the kiss. In reality, it was sloppy and insipid, why do you think I pulled away? You were making my skin crawl! On reflection I suppose it's not your fault, you're an uncultured lizard and have had little practice at such things I'd imagine."

" _Right, that's it!"_ He thought, " _she deserves everything she gets!"_  he closed the distance between them in a second. Chihiro tried to back away, surprised at his rapid advance, but she found that she could not move. There was the merest inch between them now. His eyes devoured her lovely face.

"If that is your opinion," he said very quietly, "then I need all the practice I can get. She tried desperately to move but every muscle was frozen. "I'm sorry about the holding spell" he purred. "But I will need all my concentration and we can't have any interruptions can we?" he caressed her face, running a single finger down her cheek and along her jaw, his finger stopping under her chin. She tried to yell at him but all she could do was sigh. He tilted her head up, seeming to have no trouble in controlling her disobedient body. He looked into her fierce brown eyes, he could smell both anger and fear coming from her, and the animal in him liked it.

"Oh and don't worry about the breach in etiquette," he whispered, cupping her chin gently in his hand. "This is no dishonour to either of us. After all, I do own you."

Chihiro had never been afraid of him before, then again he had never used his magic against her before either. She began to see why others were terrified of him; he could practically do anything he wanted, with only his own morals to hold him in check. She looked at the green eyes and the beautiful face. What she saw in them was akin to a bloodlust. She felt like a doe at bay with no defence from the hunter, she was helpless and she did not like it.

"Now," he said gently, "let's see if we can do better than last time." His lips met hers; he kissed her gently at first but then more and more wantonly. His hands slid down her back to her waist and she gasped when he pulled her against him. She received a throaty growl in response. Then he was practically eating her mouth, sharp teeth grazed her bottom lip. His tongue swept across her lips begging admittance, which he received even though she did her best to try and lock her jaw. His tongue was warm and invaded her mouth repeatedly, causing her to tremble in his arms.

" _Pervert!"_ Her mind screamed,  _"he knows this is the best way to humiliate me! I bet he is really enjoying this."_  But her body was a traitor to her indignation. Her pulse was racing; her breath came in short gasps. She felt like she wanted to close her eyes and surrender to him entirely. But could not, his holding spell prevented her, proving to be a blessing in disguise. The worst thing was she was sure he was aware of what she was feeling.

He did not kiss her for long, suddenly his lips were gone. He gave her one last playful lick with the tip of his tongue, then let her go, slowly backing away. The green eyes regarded her for a moment, waiting for her reaction. She was still shaking and she was very, very angry. But she was also furious with herself; she wanted more, much more. His face was full of triumph, but the kiss had affected him also. His eyes were burning with unquenched lust, for a moment Chihiro thought he was going to  ** _really_**  go too far. However, he smiled easily and said.

"I trust my performance was a little better this time?" His smile broadened into a grin. "I think about twenty out of ten; at least that's what your body told me." He narrowed his eyes again as if examining her closely. "An appealing mix of reactions, elevated heart rate, rapid respiration, trembling. Quite intoxicating, you nearly made me forget myself."

Then she was free, she could move again. The first thing she did was wipe her mouth with the back of her hand. She knew it was childish but she could still taste him in her mouth. It was just her pride that was hurt but he had also shown a side of himself she did not like that much.

"You arrogant snake." She whispered. She looked at the door, then back at him. She clutched her staff to her, seemingly at a loss. "Do you delight in insulting me?" she asked in a small voice. "Because if you do, congratulations, you've succeeded." She sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. Haku felt a belated stab of guilt.

"You were very insolent to me Chihiro, insolent and hurtful. I was teaching you a lesson." His superior manner was slipping fast, however.

"What lesson? That I can't argue with you? Or was the lesson that you can do anything you like to me whenever you wish?"

"I was teasing you!" He protested.

"Really? Because that's not what it felt like." Her voice wobbled and she hid her face in her free hand. When Haku heard her sob his heart froze in his chest.

" _Did I go too far?"_  he thought  _"Well perhaps I got a little carried away, but she was supposed to be angry with me not cry."_

Carefully he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Chihiro?" He whispered, "I was just embarrassing you, I'm sorry if I took it too far, I was annoyed." She shook off his hand, still hiding her face. Haku was now feeling very uncomfortable with what he had done; it had seemed like such a good idea at the time. Now, however, seeing Chihiro one step away from cowering before him he saw how wrong he was. When he had read Linca's mind he had been appalled at his actions and had never really forgiven himself.

This was worse.

" _She is frightened of me."_  He realised. He had to do some apologising and quickly.

"Little one, look at me." He begged. He was completely unprepared for what happened next.

Chihiro's head snapped up, her brown eyes were furious and held no trace of tears. It took Haku a moment to figure out he had been tricked but by that point, it was too late. She brought the staff up between his legs with an agility and force that would have made Rin proud. He doubled over and she changed her grip on the staff and with a flick of her wrists brought the staff down on his lower back. He fell to his knees but was on his feet again in a second, springing back from her. She took her staff and threw it at the windows, shattering two of them. The wind scattered his papers around his office.

"Now we are even!" She snapped. "Don't abuse your powers again dragon or I will hurt you." Haku was shaken, not only had she managed to deceive him but she had also knocked him to the floor. No one had ever managed to do that to him and yet this mortal had bested him. "This is the second time you have taken liberties with me; there will not be a third I can assure you." She walked to the door but turned back to him. "I will see you tomorrow; unlike you I don't ignore my friends when they have displeased me. This is the nature of a friendship and it appears you still have much to learn Haku." Haku said nothing he just stared at her. "I will wear your trinket, but lie to me again and you will rue the day you were born, spawned, hatched or however it is you came to be." She left, leaving his office in disarray behind her.

Haku waved his hand and the windows repaired themselves and his papers stacked themselves in neat piles. He sat in his chair and winced as he did so. He thought about what had just happened, a small smile touched his lips. He regretted losing his temper but Chihiro seemed to know exactly what to say to make him see red. It was all kind of worth it, however, he had got a kiss out of it all. He grinned; his dreams were probably going to be much worse from now on. He chuckled to himself.

"I'm not just in trouble, I'm cursed and doomed."

* * *

It had taken Chihiro hours to get to sleep. Her confrontation with Haku had left her more upset than she had let others know. Linca tried to prise the details from her but ended up being shouted at. She had left Chihiro to herself; Chihiro sulked for a good hour and then gave up. Holding a grudge was too much effort, besides his intentions had been pure in giving her the Tac'Tal. She had provoked him into kissing her, she had deliberately tried to wound his pride and he had retaliated in kind. He was less than subtle but it had worked, she did feel chastised now and ashamed of herself. She found herself wondering what she would have done if that holding spell had not been on her. At that point she decided to go to bed; the bonding was only a day away she had to be prepared. She pushed the incident from her mind; she would deal with it after some sleep. But sleep would not come, her mind refused to quieten and her thoughts constantly re-ran the afternoons events. However, through sheer force of will and boredom, she eventually drifted into a light doze sometime around midnight.

She awoke panting and sweating some time later. It took her a moment to realise she was awake, in her own room and that she was alone. She pushed her hair back from her face and tried to get her breathing back under control. Her body trembled but not from fear. She swore profusely into the darkness, annoyed at herself. Not only was her body a traitor but her subconscious mind was also.

The dream had been vivid and very erotic. It had started with a replay of Haku kissing her and then the next thing she knew her clothes were being ripped off. They had not even made it to his bedroom. Chihiro was thoroughly disgusted with herself.

"And I thought he was the perverted one." She grumbled. She knew she would get no rest at all now with thoughts like this kicking around her head. She shuddered and flung back her covers.

"Sex should be illegal, surely we could have thought of a better way of procreating by now? It's much to distracting for one thing and far too messy, YUCK!" She really needed to ask Rin how spirits had children, she guessed there were differences but she also knew they had the same weakness for the pleasures of the flesh that humans did. Linca was a prime example, she had had at least two lovers since she brought Chihiro back to the spirit world, and who knew how many one night stands. The land spirits apatite for men was insatiable. But Chihiro suspected that Linca was compensating in some way for the loss of her home. She sighed.

"I'm not going back to sleep now," she mumbled to the dark room. However a small part of her had wanted to finish the dream; after all, she had been enjoying herself. She glanced at her clock, its white face just visible in the gloom. It was four AM. She turned on her light, got dressed and headed for the boiler room and the only person she knew would be awake then, Kamaji.


	35. The calm before the storm

Kamaji and Bee-la were winding down for the night. Kamaji was overjoyed to see her. She had not seen him since her return, and felt incredibly guilty at the warm reception she received. He questioned her closely about her escape from the human world and was fascinated by her story. Chihiro did not tell him that Haku had kissed her at the hot springs, or that Scott had told her that he loved her. But the old spirit did not seem to notice the omissions.

"Well it's good to have you back!" he said patting her hand. "Have you prepared for the bonding ceremony?" he asked. Chihiro shook her head.

"I've avoided thinking about it."

"Well that is no good! You have to know what to say to them!" Kamaji pushed his glasses up his nose. "You have to present an argument to justify your existence here, so I guess we start with why you want to stay and then move on to what you can offer this world." Bee-la grabbed a pen and wrote down their ideas. Later they were joined by Rin and Linca, who had been looking for her since dawn. Rin grabbed them some breakfast and the four spirits continued to help Chihiro with her preparation. To her surprise, Haku walked into the boiler room an hour after the two spirit women. Chihiro glared at him. He sat opposite her and gave her a rakish wink, and made a great show of rubbing his back as if it still hurt. She could not help but smile at him.

" _Why oh why can I not stay angry at him? Goodness knows I have a reason to be."_  She decided to forget about yesterday, she needed all the help she could get right now.

As the morning progressed the atmosphere in the boiler room turned more sombre and Chihiro started fidgeting. Her speech was taking form and she was encouraged by the support from her friends but she was beginning to feel a little scared

"That's it." Haku announced at lunch time. "I think that's all we can do." He rubbed his forehead, he looked tired. "We are starting to go in circles; I think it's time to stop." His fey green eyes turned to Chihiro, for a moment she had a flash back to her dream, but managed not to show it. "You should eat and have a rest. The ferry departs at nightfall, just after it's brought the first spirits over." He looked at the rest of them. "I expect you all to be there." Linca rolled her eyes.

"Of course we are going to be there dragon! No need to threaten."

"What about the boiler?" Asked Kamaji, "Bee-la and I can't both be there." Haku waved his hand at Kamaji dismissively.

"That's not an issue." He said coolly. Chihiro frowned at him.

"Don't be so high handed! Kamaji wants to know what's happening to his boiler. The least you can do is tell him what you're planning." Chihiro said, slightly annoyed. Haku blinked and stared at her as if not sure what to do. Then he laughed.

"It seams I've been saddled with a new conscience." He turned to Kamaji. "Sorry old friend I did not mean to insult your professionalism. I will summon a demon who will operate the boiler in your absence." Nearly everybody winced at these words, apart from Bee-la who couldn't and Chihiro who did not understand. She guessed this was one of those great magical feats that he performed so easily.

Chihiro sighed, stood and stretched.

"Well I think I will take a nap, if I can. I did not sleep well last night."

"Oh really?" Said Haku. "That's funny, neither did I," He rubbed his chin. "Strange coincidence." Chihiro could not help her cheeks colouring, but did not rise to his gentle teasing.

"Yes that is strange, I wonder why that is? Maybe we should be less active before we go to bed." She said lightly. Linca did not miss the blush or the deliberately bland comments, full of hidden meaning. She smiled to herself.

" _Well, well, our sister is keeping secrets again. Once she is bonded I'll find out what this is all about."_  She thought. Rin was oblivious however.

"Well I slept very well, maybe you two aren't working hard enough." Chihiro and Haku shared a smile at the spirit woman's expense.

"Well I'm going," Chihiro announced. "Thank you so much, all of you." After everyone murmured their goodbyes Chihiro went to her room and fell into a deep sleep almost immediately. To her relief she did not dream.

* * *

Meeka shook Chihiro awake an hour before nightfall. Chihiro got dressed in a simple but elegant grey silk Kimono, and Meeka styled her hair in a high bun with her rose hair sticks holding it in place. Chihiro made sure to tuck her Tac'Tal under her kimono, smiling to herself as she did so. Despite the fact she was aware of what it now meant, she still thought it was beautiful and he _had_  made it just for her. She chuckled to herself, her father would have a fit if he knew she was effectively a dragon's property, especially one who looked and kissed like he did. A blush touched her cheeks again.

 

" _Stop it!"_  She told herself,  _"Forget about it! It was not as if you were a willing participant, it could not have been that good!"_

She tried to focus on the task ahead of her and remember everything she had to say. Also her mothers face kept sliding into her thoughts.

" _Will I ever see her again_?" She wondered. She thought of her world and despite the trials she had endured there, she knew that leaving it behind would be one of the hardest things she had ever done. Haku was right, it would be a month or two before the full implications of her choice made an impression on her. Right now however she had a sense of finality. There would be no more existing in limbo, she would be a member of this world or die. She shook her head.

" _That is not one of the conditions; they will just send me back_!" She thought. Then she realised that her first notion had been correct. If she went back she would die. She was a part of a magical world now, without magic in her life she would perish, not immediately, but eventually she would pine away for this place and its people. She sighed deeply.

"Penny for them…?" Said a soft voice, Chihiro turned to see Linca standing in her doorway. "Are you having second thoughts?" the spirit asked.

"Not serious ones," smiled Chihiro.

"Meeka tells me you did not eat your dinner." Linca's white eyes fixed on Chihiro's face.

"I couldn't, I thought that if I did I would vomit." Linca gave her a sympathetic look and then slipped her arms around her and hugged her briefly.

"It will be fine Chi, you'll see, they have to let you stay." Chihiro sighed and looked at the ethereal spirit woman. Linca was shimmering in the same snow white gown she had worn at the midsummer's night ball. Her white hair gleamed almost as much as her dress, she really did look stunning. Chihiro felt a bit like a dowdy gosling standing next to a graceful swan, if a very small graceful swan. Chihiro shook her head.

"They don't have to let me stay at all Linca; they can do what they like with me."

"You're joking surely!" Linca almost laughed. "What is better for them do you think, you staying or green and handsome's anger? They may be Gods but he is very useful to them. How cooperative do you think he would be if they sent you back? The truth that everyone seems to have realised, except you, is that he needs you here." Linca placed her hands on her soon to be sister's shoulders. "What you have to decide is whether you need him. It is difficult for you, I know, you've stepped on your emotions for so long you've practically forgotten how to let them surface. Start looking at things with your heart and ignore your head for a while." She sighed and tightened her grip on Chihiro's shoulders. "Do you need him Chi?"

"I'm not sure," said Chihiro, her throat tightening. "He's arrogant and moody and has a fierce temper and a sly side to him that scares me. Sometimes I feel like I hardly know him… and he is very powerful."

Linca frowned.

"What happened to not worrying about river not in flood thingy?"

"He used his power on me," Mumbled Chihiro, embarrassed. Linca grinned.

"Oh! And you did not like being on the receiving end?" Chihiro pouted girlishly making Linca laugh. "Get used to it my friend; we all get magically manipulated at times. He was just playing with you I'd imagine. Did you do something to provoke him?"

"I threatened to beat his brains out and was very rude to him." Chihiro's face was burning now under Linca's amused gaze.

"Why?" Asked the sprite, Chihiro slipped the Tac'Tal out from under her Kimono. Linca paled making her complexion look a little more blue.

"When did he give you this?" She whispered. Chihiro gave her a brief explanation.

"… then I found out from Rin what it meant, he owns me." She concluded in a small voice.

"Well that's a rather one sided way of looking at it. Technically, and I mean at the most basic bare bones of the concept, you own a bit of him too."

"What are you talking about?" Asked Chihiro. Linca gave her the smallest of smiles, it was enough to make Chihiro's heart ache.

"He has given you a part of his soul." Chihiro's eyes widened at these words, but Linca continued. "That's why it stopped being a form of enslavement; it made the giver too vulnerable and the recipient too powerful. Most of these bondages ended with the recipient using the Tac'Tal against the giver. Think about it, how can you defend yourself against someone in possession of a piece of your soul? It's not worth the risk, it was an effective method of control but there are better ways of gaining that without making yourself vulnerable. Brain washing and compulsion tend to be the weapons of choice these days. That is why the Tac'Tal is now only a gift between life mates, the only person you should give your soul to is someone whom you trust utterly. I have heard that Rin had a bad experience with one and Haku was probably too embarrassed to tell you everything about it, especially after you threatened to hit him". Chihiro looked at the little mirror.

"This is a part of him?" Linca nodded.

"You must have his absolute trust for him to protect you in such a fashion, he could have chosen other ways but instead he gave you himself." Linca looked as if she was about to cry.

"What's the matter Linca?" Chihiro asked gently. Linca shook her head.

"Nothing, it's just nice to see."

Chihiro sighed. "This is… a…a big thing isn't it?" She stammered.

"Well it's not exactly a marriage invitation, not in this context but…" Linca sniffed and then shook herself.

"It is up to you what you make of this, he has made no demands and seems willing for you to retain your freedom, you would know if he was trying to control you with it, but that's not what he wants. Where's the fun in pursuing a slave? It's hardly sporting or fair and you would not be you anymore." Chihiro took a deep breath.

"This is all so weird Linca; this is not what I expected at all."

"Maybe you need to raise your expectations. Besides the dragon is sex on legs! Half the female spirits on the plain would trade their immortality to be in your precious position." Linca tapped her playfully on the cheek. "Stop being so modest, open your eyes and take what he is offering."

"But he hasn't offered me anything!" Chihiro cried, exasperated.

"Silly!" Said Linca yanking on the Tac'Tal around her neck. "He may not have verbalised it but you have not been that receptive."

"Guess not." Chihiro mumbled. Linca decided not to push her luck. A maybe was better than flat denial.

"We should meet the ferry." Declared the sprite breezily. Chihiro nodded and Linca left.

The human woman looked around her cosy room. She turned to her windows and looked out at the plain, the water and grasses were blushed pink by the setting sun. It was beautiful in its own strange way and it was her home which she loved dearly.

"Well this is it, this could be the last time I see this place." She mumbled. "But not if I can help it." She smiled to herself, reached up to her hair feeling for a stick, she then extracted a blade from its wooden sheath. She turned to the windows and in the wood of the windowsill carved…

CHIHIRO OGINO'S HOME IS HERE. She nodded with satisfaction, and left the room with a slightly lighter feeling in her breast. At least something of her would be left if she did not return.


	36. Over the River

After the brilliantly lit ferry had disgorged its contents of spirits, and they had taken solid form, and started meandering towards the bathhouse, other spirits started moving onto the dumpy vessel. Chihiro let herself be swept along with them. Soon the ferry was packed to its gunnels with a wide variety of spirits. Chihiro was touched by the turnout, there must have been a hundred people on board including, Rin, Linca, Bou, Yubaba, Zeniba, Kamaji, Bee-la, Meeka and many other faces that she recognised, even the kindly radish spirit had squeezed his way on. She had not seen Haku on the ferry, but she was sure he was there.

The ride was only about thirty minutes long, but there was a kind of party atmosphere onboard; hardly surprising since many of the spirits were getting a few hours off work. Chihiro sat among all this merriment and tried not to worry. She was aware however that even though she was hiding it well, her nerves were fraying fast. Someone started to sing a ditty.

_On the plain, we travel again,_

_On the ferry we are merry,_

_On the railroad, we will never get old,_

_Those of us who fly touch the sky._

_We are the spirits of the plain,_

_Our power shall never wane,_

_We will reign supreme,_

_Because we are more than we seem…_

This was sung with great hilarity and most were laughing so much the words slurred into each other. Nerves jangling Chihiro decided to slip away before they launched into a second verse. It was not that the song was particularly bad, but the tenuous rhymes made her cringe and she could not join in with the other spirits fun, sooner or later someone would notice her black mood and attempt to correct it. Chihiro did not want to be forced to feel better; it was perfectly natural to be scared.

She tiptoed out onto the deck at the side of the ferry and held onto the railings. She looked out at the black water sliding by and she tried to calm her growing anxiety.

" _It's alright Chihiro, you're just going to meet the most powerful spirits in this world."_ She thought.  _"I am going to try and convince what are effectively Gods that I am worthy enough to live among immortals. Who am I kidding! This is never going to work; I'm just a stupid little insignificant human!"_

"I thought I might find you brooding out here." Said a calm masculine voice. Chihiro did not turn around to look at the speaker; instead, she lent her elbows on the rail and rested her chin in her hands.

" _Great, the last thing I need is to talk to him, that will help my focus about as much as a serious brain injury would."_  She thought sourly. Finely boned hands settled either side of her elbows on the rail. Strong arms framed her body. She could feel his warmth behind her back, but he did not touch her.

"Chihiro?" His breath tickled her ear. Chihiro sighed.

" _Why does he have to have such a nice voice, it's very distracting!"_  She thought.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his voice was warm and full of concern. "You're not still angry with me are you?"

"I told you that I did not want to talk about that." She mumbled into her palms.

"I know I was just making sure. By the way, in case you were interested, Kamaji said that my spine should heal in a few weeks and that my testicles should drop back down not long after that." Chihiro burst out laughing. His arms inched closer but still did not touch her.

"You deserved everything you got you pig! I may have been horrible myself but there really was no call for what you did." Chortled Chihiro.

"True enough." He agreed. "Incidentally, did I ever warn you about my temper?"

"No," she replied. "I would have preferred a warning before giving me a  _taste_  of it." He gave a low chuckle

"So you would have preferred a  _tongue lashing_  instead?" Chihiro was getting a stitch from repressed laughter. She elbowed him gently in his taut stomach.

"That's enough I'm supposed to be thinking about my bonding not joking with you." She could feel his green eyes looking at her; it was quite a disconcerting feeling.

"I'm not sure brooding about it will help you Chihiro. Not thinking about it might, you can do nothing else to help yourself now, and getting tense will just make things worse." He was right she knew he was. His arms moved a little closer still, nearly brushing her shoulders.

She could tell by his sleeves that he must be dressed formally too. Matt black silk with dark green ivy leaf embroidery twining down his arms. She almost turned around to examine the rest of the gorgeous material, but stopped herself. She could see the other shore approaching fast, five more minutes and they would be there. She could see spirits thronging the streets, and there was a slight haziness by the wharf indicating that a concentration of bonded spirits were there, waiting for the ferry and the chance to take a solid form.

"Could I offer you some advice?" Asked Haku in a low tone.

"Of course." She replied.

"Be as honest as you can. They do not claim to be omnipotent or omnipresent, but they do know more than you can ever imagine. Try and see past the face they present you with, and just answer their questions as best you can."

She did turn around then. He looked absolutely incredible in black silk jacket and trousers. His clothes were immaculately made, fitted perfectly to his lithe frame. With the green ivy embroidery climbing all over him he almost looked like a wood spirit. He was watching her intently, a slight smile touching his generous lips. Chihiro felt warm and safe, pinned between his arms, shielded from the world by him. She swallowed trying to work some moisture back into her mouth; she really could not take her eyes off him.

She knew that the ferry would dock at any moment and this strange spell between them, whatever it was, would shatter to pieces. Linca's earlier words rang in her head. Right then she made a decision. She slid her hands up his torso to rest on his chest, appreciating the hard muscle she found there. She rose onto her toes and hesitantly kissed his lips. He did not move except to tighten his grip on the rail. She had surprised him, Haku's mind went blank, he was oblivious to everything except the soft sensation of her cupids bow lips pressed to his. The Ferry shuddered as it docked. Chihiro steadied herself against him, looking up into his incredulous gaze. When the ferry was still once more she ducked beneath his right arm and practically raced back to the inner deck.

Haku blinked, not knowing what to do next.

" _Did that really just happen?"_  His poor brain could not take it in, he shook his head to try and clear it. People were leaving the ferry. He raked his teeth along his bottom lip and grunted.

" _I guess that means I'm forgiven, I think her nerves must have gotten to her to drive her to do something like that, she's probably just needing reassurance and confusing it with…"_  he growled at himself. " _Enough! She may just have wanted a kiss, either way, it is something we will definitely discuss later."_  He turned to join the rest of the disembarking passengers.  _"That is if there is a later for us."_  He thought worriedly.

The clock tower citadel was a very holy place. Zeniba had explained much about the nature of the spirit realm to Chihiro while they were waiting for the ferry. Non-bonded spirits such as Linca and Rin could go where they pleased for as long as they liked, they had no connection to a place but had very little power. A bonded spirit could leave their bond place but only for a limited time. To neglect their duties to their bond places caused them great pain. Now some spirits such as Selkies, Water horses and Kappa's were never bonded to a place but to an element, thus they could exist on the spirit plain but would need access to their element frequently.

Bonded spirits rarely took solid form, their bond places were all that mattered to them, and they only took form when it was absolutely necessary, like going to the bathhouse. So as Chihiro passed through the haze on the wharf, she was very aware that she was walking through the essences of many spirits. She shuddered. Haku was the exception to the rule. He was a bonded spirit but because he had spent a few decades separated from his river as a non-bonded spirit he had grown used to his body and preferred to keep it permanently. He could leave his river for up to a month but normally preferred not to. He had been a witches apprentice and so had a huge amount of magical knowledge. Now, however, he had his river and had all the power of a bonded spirit combined with the magical training that only non-bonded spirits ever received. He was unique and very powerful.

This place allowed spirits to move freely between the different plains of existence. The town was here to cater for the travellers as well as the bathhouse across the river to renew and rejuvenate them. Zeniba had said that the Lady herself had opened this gateway. It was open to nearly all worlds' at different times, which was why the occasional human stumbled in, but there were far stranger things that had materialised here. So this was a sacred place. The clock tower itself had been here as long as anyone could remember; no one knew where it had come from. No one assumed it had been built here, many thought it was from another world.

Chihiro was not ready for the sheer profusion of temples on the main street. Gold competed with silver, purple, and red in the gaudiest eye-wrenching display Chihiro had ever seen. Downtown Tokyo paled by comparison.

"Now we know where Yubaba gets her decorative inspiration." Mumbled Linca. Chihiro grinned despite the sinking feeling in her chest. She was glad she had not eaten; she really was feeling slightly nauseous with nervous tension.

They were walking along a wide avenue paved with black stone; on either side were fantastical temples to just about everything! There were temples to fire, earth, air and water. There were temples to powerful spirits, which other spirits would throng to, hoping to gain favour with the powerful beings. Some were truly bizarre, she passed a tall obelisk of granite that the shadow people prayed and made offerings to. What it represented Chihiro had no idea, Linca seemed just as nonplussed. Chihiro nearly jumped when she realised she was approaching a temple dedicated to dragons; the building seemed to be made of some sort of shiny metal. There seemed many spirits willing to abase themselves on the steps of the temple, paying homage to all of dragon kind. She glanced at Haku who was also looking at the temple. He must have sensed the direction of her attention because he fleetingly looked behind him and winced when he saw her. He turned away seeming to concentrate on the way ahead, ignoring the temple. One or two of the worshipers saw him and fell to their knees as he passed, he did not look at them.

" _Obviously he hates that, I wonder why? If you are a God surely you will have a following?_ " It was something else to add to the list of things she did not understand about him.

The main wonder of this street of temples, however, was the temple to the Lord and Lady. Bright purple walls with a gold leaf covered roof. It was twenty stories tall, and had so many marble columns Chihiro could not count them all. There were recesses cut into the walls and in each stood a statue.

"There is a statue to represent every type of spirit," whispered Rin in awe. They approached the temple at a sedate pace. There were ten steps, covered in garnets, leading up to two massive solid gold doors. Chihiro saw the statue of a naked man and woman at either side of the first step. The black marble statues were so lifelike Chihiro expected them to start moving.

"Humans," said Linca, "They are included here because our worlds are linked, and as part of nature you have a right to claim our Gods as your own." Chihiro nodded, trying to take it all in. The party stopped at the top step, a shadow spirit temple guard dressed in purple stepped forward to speak to Haku. After a few words with the dragon the guard gestured to the doors and they creaked open.

Everyone started moving forward, brushing past her. She stood rooted to the step. She could feel the terrible, wonderful, awe-inspiring presence that had given her the hair sticks. For a moment she was paralysed with fear. A warm hand clasped her numb fingers. She looked to her left to see Haku standing at her side, looking down at her with sympathy.

"Don't be afraid, everything will be alright." He whispered. He mounted the last step and gently pulled at her hand.

"Come, this could be the beginning of your new life. Face it don't fear it." She swallowed and forced herself to take the last step. Haku smiled and for a moment she saw nothing but him. His eyes were warm and inviting, she had a sudden urge to throw herself into his arms and beg him never to let her go.

" _I have to succeed_ ," she thought. " _Or I will never find out if we were meant to be more to each other. If I get sent back now I will always wonder about this_." She managed to look away from him and stood a little taller. He led her through the massive doors, still clasping her hand; only he knew how much she was shaking.


	37. Past the Point of No Return

Chihiro managed to get her trembling under control as they entered the main hall of the temple. The vaulted ceiling of red stained teak beams was a good fifteen feet above her. The floor was dolomite, a black rock that sparkled with quartz crystals; it was a bit like the stone Haku's home was built with. People where seating themselves on the numerous low wooden benches set parallel to an altar. The altar at the end of the huge hall was a living cherry tree, squashed down and parted in the middle so there was a flat surface, the branches grew from the sides of the squat trunk, they were covered in white blossom and the floral aroma filled the hall.

"It looks like someone has trained a full grown tree as a bizarre bonsai." Whispered Linca.

"It's beautiful," Chihiro murmured.

The interested parties moved to the altar. They all knelt before it, on rush mats provided for that purpose.

"Bow your head." Hissed Haku to Chihiro out the side of his mouth.

"Why?" She replied frowning, "These are not my Gods." Chihiro, who had been raised with no religion, felt stupid abasing herself.

"True," he replied, "but they are deities and they will decide your fate. I think showing respect is wise."

"Good point." Mumbled Chihiro and dropped her chin so fast she made her neck joints crack in protest. The room turned dark for a moment and Chihiro felt the magic crackle around her, to her surprise she could actually see it. It looked like a bluish haze around her knees. She smiled at this discovery, despite her fear. The Tac'Tal felt warm against her skin.

Chihiro nearly fainted when a pair of small, delicate blue hands took hers and pulled her to her feet. She looked up into a blue-skinned, heart-shaped face, with curious violet eyes, framed by black wavy hair. The unofficial Goddess of all the spirits smiled at Chihiro.

"No need to kneel dear, it must be unnatural for you, we are not your gods." Chimed the Ladies bell-like voice. Chihiro could not speak; the Lady was the most beautiful thing she had ever beheld. She was human looking, apart from her sapphire skin. Her hair trailed to the floor and fanned out behind her like a black waterfall. Her violet eyes were wide and almond shaped, her lips were dark and full. Her white dress showed her figure to advantage, it was cut very low and slashed up the sides to show as much blue thigh as possible. It also stretched tightly over her heavily pregnant stomach. It had never occurred to Chihiro that spirits could actually carry children in a human way. A dazzling smile spread across the ladies face. "You would think that after my gift to you, you would have something to say to me." Chihiro paled.

" _I think she is teasing me_!" Her shocked brain could not comprehend that.

"Stop that! You know the poor mortal must be terrified." Chihiro turned to see a tall muscular man standing by the altar. He was bare-chested and wearing a pair of loose trousers made of a white material that shimmered. His feet were bare like the Ladies but his skin was a terracotta colour. His eyes that watched Chihiro closely were completely black. His hair was white, short and spiky, his face was chiselled and masculine, but quite beautiful. The two were technicolour negatives of each other. The Lady pulled a face at the stern Lord.

"Pay him no mind child, he's a pussycat." She said as Chihiro stiffened on seeing the God of the spirits. They were both intimidating but for some reason she found him to be more so.

The Lady placed her hands on her hips, looking a little disgruntled.

"Well say something! You were quite chatty on our last meeting." Chihiro felt the pressure to speak… to say anything.

"When are you due?" Was out of her mouth before she could stop herself. Haku, who was still kneeling, head bowed, seemed to be having trouble breathing as he was making snorting noises. Linca's shoulders were shaking. The Lady treated Chihiro to a quizzical stare for a moment. She then flung her head back and laughed. The laugh reverberated around the hall making Chihiro want to cover her ears; the lovely sound was almost too much for her.

"Oh, child," chuckled the Lady. "I really have frazzled your brain." She placed a hand on her distended stomach. "I've been pregnant for at least ten years; the child will know when he is ready." Chihiro frowned.

"Rather you than me, I would not want to suffer morning sickness for that long." Chihiro clapped a hand over her mouth.

" _What's wrong with me?"_ She thought furiously _. "I'm saying the first thing that comes into my thick head!_ " The Lord gave her a small smile.

"Don't distress yourself. For the purposes of this meeting, no one will be able to tell even a half-truth, even what you think you will tell us." Chihiro gulped, the Lady beamed at her.

"Did you find my hair sticks useful?" She asked.

"Yes," replied Chihiro, trying desperately to control the urge to spill her brains. "Though I think you scared Haku when you gave them to me." The Ladies gaze fixed on Haku and then swept across the other kneelers.

"Will all of you please stand up; displays of supplication make me sick." Chihiro had never seen so many people move so quickly.

The Lady waddled over to Haku. Her pregnancy preventing any attempt at grace.

"Nice to see you again friend dragon. My spy's tell me you've turned that troublesome bathhouse around and actually improved custom. Sorry, I frightened you with that illusion, but your human was in no danger. I had to demonstrate to you how easily a mortal could be fooled. I was afraid that you would become complacent about her safety after she had bullied you into letting her stay.

"That's something you can't accuse him of," murmured Chihiro ruefully. She blushed at her runaway mouth.

"I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you, I was concerned." Snapped Haku sarcastically, his eyes widened as he felt the effect of the true speaking spell. Chihiro did not want to start an argument in front of the two deities, but the words seemed to want to force their way from her throat. In desperation, she bit her lip and clamped both hands over her mouth.

"Oh how sweet!" simpered the Lady. "She does not want to insult you." She smiled at the now scarlet dragon. "You must have made an impression on her my young friend, then again you can be quite charming when you wish. I can see how you may appeal to her."

"Mate!" snapped the Lord. "Stop teasing them, can we please get on with this?" The Lady pouted comically and then stood before the altar. She tried to leaver herself onto the smooth surface, but was prevented by her huge stomach. Her mate rolled his eyes and casually lifted the Goddess up, as if she weighed nothing at all. He placed her gently down on the altar. She got herself into a comfortable sitting position and beamed at the assembly, she started swinging her feet.

"Well, I suppose we should start." The Lady grumbled, "I'm sorry my love, but you know how much I like talking to mortals," she simpered. Her hand trailed across her mate's muscular shoulders for a moment and she treated him to a look of pure heat. The Lord shuffled his feet he seemed pleased but uncomfortable.

"Now there's a woman who can control her man." Whispered Linca, looking horrified as she did so. The Lords face darkened with vexation but the Lady clapped her hands in amusement and grinned.

"I'm glad you like my methods little sprite." She drawled. Linca's face was as blue as Chihiro had ever seen it. The Lady whispered into her mate's ear and he seemed to relax.

Chihiro gave up her fight against the spell.

" _If they want plain speaking they shall get it!"_  she thought. "You're not what I expected." 

"What did you imagine? Bolts of lightning? Pillars of fire? Great powerful voices from above?" The Lady chuckled. "Sorry if we disappoint you."

"We don't have time for you to indulge your hobbies my love, let's get on with this." Growled the Lord, his low musical voice was beautiful even in his annoyance.

"Oh alright!" The Lady sighed. She turned to the assembly. "Is there anyone present who has an objection to these proceedings?"

Silence reigned, much to Chihiro's relief.

"This is like a mating ceremony," piped up Linca. Chihiro gave her a sharp look. "You know, a marriage." Linca explained.

"It's close to it actually," said the Lord. "We hope to tie the human's soul to this place instead of to another person."

"What if I want to get married, I mean mated?" Asked Chihiro, flushing again. She deliberately avoided looking to her right, she could feel Haku's eyes on her.

"Then the bond is merely transferred," said the God. "But I don't think you will find any eligible human men here," he smiled at her patronisingly.

"What if she wanted to take a spirit as her mate my Lord?" Asked Rin respectfully.

"Why would she want to do that?" He frowned, the possibility had obviously never occurred to him. The Lady smiled a knowing smile.

"Let's continue," she said sweetly. "Chihiro, you may approach the altar."Chihiro bit her lip and then climbed the three steps up to the twisted tree. "Now tell us child, why do you want to dwell here?" Chihiro took a deep calming breath; she knew her future rested on this. She looked behind her and saw that all eyes were watching her.

Zeniba gave her a huge wink. Rin looked worried and nervous. Linca was shuffling her feet. Kamaji had all the fingers on all six of his hands crossed. Bee-la's wings were still for once, his faceted eyes as always, were emotionless. No-Face's mask was turned towards her; she could have sworn there was a frown on his fixed features. Haku looked calm, his hands were resting easily by his sides and his posture seemed relaxed, but his gaze hammered into her, demanding acknowledgement. She nodded to him, almost imperceptibly, letting him know in that small gesture that she would be all right. He cast his eyes down, as if unable to watch the rest of the proceedings.

" _I'm on my own!"_  She thought. However, frightened as she was she started to speak in a loud and clear voice.

"I came here ten years ago, by accident and in the three days that I spent here, I saved my parents and a dragon from slavery. More importantly, however, I made friends and I was touched by the magic of this world. I returned to my own world and my life fell apart." These were not the words she had planned to say, the spell that they were all under made her speak from the heart with only a passing nod to her brain. "I was branded insane for trusting my family with the truth and I had to deny this world existed to be accepted and live normally in my own. I did not live through, I existed. Every day was a struggle to find a meaning to even get out of bed. When Linca arrived things improved. For the first time I had a close friend in my own world, but her efforts to help me ended in failure..."

"It's true!" Interrupted Linca, "She was miserable all the time, and very good at hiding it. But I could see how much she was hurting."

"Quiet!" Snapped the Lord making Linca cower back a little. The Lady took her mates arm and he relaxed against her. "Continue please child." He mumbled to Chihiro. Chihiro swallowed and then started to speak again.

"Well, Linca decided that I needed to return. When I did I found my life and my happiness again. It was like I'd been born anew. Haku was afraid for me; I'm human and not supposed to exist here. But I do belong here, this is my home. I love this place; I love the people in it. I even found two sisters and a grandmother." The Lady raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing. "I know I'm just a human and I have no special power or skills but I am not useless. Yubaba has employed me, without contract, to manage the bathhouse accounts. I have a quick mind and a fresh perspective. I feel I can only be an asset to the establishment." Chihiro stopped talking, her mouth was dry and she had run out of things to say. After an agonising silence that seemed to last an eternity the Lady spoke.

"Well you have spoken convincingly and eloquently my child, but this bond is for life, what of your family? What happens in twenty years when you begin to feel your age but all around you remain the same? Will you be as content then do you think?" Chihiro swallowed, she could not lie.

"I don't know," she murmured, whispers echoed through the hall but were silenced by a grave look from the Lord. "I think I would still be content but I would be sad that I was on a path that my friends could not follow or understand. It will be heartbreaking to leave them, as I must someday, but that is the nature of mortality and I accept that. As for my parents, they think I am mad. I will miss them, especially my mother but ever since my first visit here there has been a distance between us that has never been bridged. They never understood me. I would like to see them again but don't expect to." Again there was a long silence.

"Well, it does seem that you have thought about this," intoned the Lord. He turned to his mate who was still swinging her feet. "Satisfied?" he asked.

"Always," she purred and then laughed making her mate smile. "I think she has acquitted herself well and we can move on to the declarations."

She looked at the line of spirits on the bottom step. "Who speaks for this mortal?" She asked.

"I speak for her." Zeniba stepped forward. "Chihiro is a kind, sweet, compassionate girl who has taught us all something about empathy and loyalty. If she stays we will continue to learn from her. I also consider her to be my grandchild and I love her dearly. She is also, I believe, the one to fulfil a certain prophecy, which I'm sure you are aware of." Again the whispering started, Haku looked surprised and narrowed his eyes at the witch. But then he stepped forward and his clear beautiful voice silenced the crowd.

"I also speak for Chihiro; she is the one who returned my name and my life to me. I also saved her life when she was a child which means I have a responsibility for her." His eyes flicked towards her for a moment and his lips quirked up in a half smile. "She can be stubborn and insolent at times but she has my complete trust and respect." Chihiro's heart fluttered in her breast. She would have to give both him and Granny a big hug and a kiss after this, especially him he needed at least two kisses, maybe three… Her thoughts then turned to Yubaba, what would the witch say? To her surprise the witch did not move, her eyes were cast down and her arms were folded. Seconds ticked by, Chihiro fidgeted.

"Will no one else speak?" Enquired the Lady. Yubaba did not move.

"Sister please!" Cried Zeniba.

"You promised!" Growled Haku his jade eyes hard and angry.

"I did no such thing! All I said was I thought I could find her useful." Yubaba snapped. Haku bared his teeth in an ugly snarl. Chihiro really thought he was going to attack Yubaba. "I'm not sentimental like my dear sister," Continued the witch. "Nor do I allow feelings to cloud my judgement like the dragon does. The girl has guts and guile but I want remuneration if I have to keep her around."

"Such as?" enquired the Lord.

"I want my bathhouse back." Haku did make a move towards Yubaba then, but was restrained by Rin and No-face, Linca skipped between Yubaba and himself, shaking her head and talking to him in that patient, reasonable, mothering tone that Chihiro was usually on the receiving end of. The place was in an uproar; people were standing up and shouting all over the hall.

"It's my bathhouse!" shouted Yubaba. "I've run it for six hundred years with no help, I don't need him telling me how to do my job!" Bou was crying and Zeniba shouted at her sister.

"You dare use these sacred proceedings to blackmail Haku? This is a new low for you sister." Yubaba sneered and was about to answer when a high keening sound rang around the hall and would not stop. The sound burned the ears and caused everyone to cringe. After a few moments of this torture, the Lady stopped screaming.

"Much better!" she boomed, looking fierce and angry. "I will have none of this!" she turned on Yubaba. "The dragon's presence in the bathhouse is non-negotiable; we put him there to counteract your increasing greed and avarice. He will continue in his post until we say otherwise. Is that understood?" Yubaba nodded. "Now will you speak for the mortal?" Chihiro looked at the witch with all the pleading she could possibly muster. Yubaba's face remained rigid; her huge eyes gave Chihiro a cold look.

"No, I will not speak for her," she replied. Before the place could dissolve into anarchy again the Lady spoke.

"Only two have made declarations the third speaker has refused." She turned to Chihiro who was looking lost and alone before the two Gods. She knew what this meant but she could not quite grasp it. "I'm sorry my child," said the Lady sadly, "There must be three." She sighed as if not relishing what she had to do. "Perhaps the time is not right yet," she muttered enigmatically. She then looked up at the assembled spirits and said. "I must, therefore, rule that…"

"I speak for her." Interrupted a rasping voice. At the back of the hall, a huge mountain of white flesh moved out of the crowd. "She is very nice." Rumbled the radish spirit in a dry, harsh voice. His voice put Chihiro's teeth on edge, it was awful and that probably explained the spirits silence until now.

"With respect spirit, you are not blessed with great power," said the Lord.

"I speak for her!" said Linca, "If you add our power together my Lord we are not insignificant."

"I speak for her!" cried Rin, "She is the only sane person in the bathhouse."

"I speak" croaked Kamaji, "She listens to my ramblings and helps myself and Bee-la when she can."

"BUZZ" said Bee-la

"I speak!" she treats me with every kindness even though I am her bondservant," cried Meeka fiercely.

"Uh, Uh," said No-face, waving his arms wildly.

Tears of gratitude ran down Chihiro's face. The Lady was watching her.

"If you combine all these speakers power they can almost match Haku," said Zeniba hopefully. The two Gods looked at each other for a moment, Chihiro was sure they were talking to each other.

"The terms of the bonding must be fulfilled," said the Lord. "As touching as your support for the human is we must have three powerful beings to speak for her."

Chihiro decided the time for respectful silence was over, if she had to beg she would, this was no time for pride. She clasped her hands before her and said.

"Please! Great Lord and Lady, I must stay! Please grant me this and I will do whatever you would wish of me." The Ladies violate eyes were sympathetic.

"I'm sorry but this is what must be, we cannot bond you, you must return to your own world." Two purple-clad guards took Chihiro's arms.

"Take the human to the border and ensure she crosses over, the way will be opened for you." Commanded the Lord, Chihiro struggled half-heartedly as the guard started to pull her down the altar steps, but did not really have any strength left. Her heart felt like it was tearing apart; pain wrenched at her chest and made her dizzy and confused. Her feet refused to move and sobs started to wrack her body.

"But I've come so far!" she wailed, "Endured so much for this!" She looked at the witch who had betrayed her. "Do you think anyone will forgive you this time Yubaba? Now everyone can see you for the vindictive cold-hearted hag that you are!" She yelled. Bou had started to scream hysterically. Yubaba looked around her, she saw the state her son was in and then looked at the desolation on her sister's face. She could not look at Haku, the dragons eyes burned with a hatred that was terrible to see. Rin and Linca were clutching each other and staring at the witch in horror. Yubaba looked worried for a moment and then she mumbled a few words and vanished, leaving her son behind. The hall was in turmoil voices were raised and angry.

Hearing the response to her treatment gave Chihiro back some hope. She collapsed, her legs and tried to dig her heels into the stone floor. She was not going without a fight. The guards simply dragged her. Her eyes found Haku and her heart stood still. Desperation and pain filled his countenance. He could do nothing, she knew that but it did not stop her calling his name in anguish. He made to move towards her but was restrained by more purple-clad temple guards.

"No!" screamed Linca, finally getting over her shock. "At least let us say goodbye!" Rin turned angrily on Haku who now had three guards holding him back from Chihiro.

"Do something dragon!" She shouted.

"I can't!" He cried his voice catching.

"You are just going to let them take her away?" Shrieked Rin shrilly.

"What else can I do Rin? Use my power on our Gods?" he shouted struggling against the silent guards. "Don't think I have not considered it but it would be suicide and not just for me. Don't make the mistake of thinking you're the only one who cares!" He growled harshly. Rin threw her hands up in frustration and roared.

"She's my sister!" More guards appeared and caught her as she tried to run to Chihiro. "I'm going to become an atheist!" Screamed the enraged spirit woman at the two watching Gods, who seemed quite bemused by the chaos. "Then you will be sorry!" Linca had collapsed to her knees and was weeping gently, her hands covering her face.

"I'm sorry Chihiro I'm so sorry," she whimpered.

Chihiro's eyes were so blurred with tears she could not see clearly. The guards had nearly dragged her to a side door of the hall. Haku's green eyes had never left her. She felt the Tac'Tal burn painfully against her skin.

" _I'm never going to see him again!"_ The thought hit her like a punch to the stomach. She needed to say something, something that may lift the misery a little from his beautiful face. At least then the last memory she had of him would not be distorted with his pain. It was all she had left to offer him.

"I'll never forget you," she sobbed, "I don't care if I'm shut away for the rest of my life... I... I can never deny you, you are my wonderful white dragon, and you will be till the day I die... m...mylife is yours... it... it has been since the moment I fell into your river." Haku's emerald eyes widened and for half a heartbeat he was completely still. Suddenly all the guards around him collapsed unconscious.

"WAIT!" He roared, his voice threatening to bring the roof down around them. The huge supporting beams shifted and shuddered, fine dust floated down covering everyone below. The hall was deafeningly silent. The dragon tore up the steps to stand before the two Gods.

"How dare you use magic on our loyal servants!" Shouted the Lord. "I could kill you for such impudence!"

"Then kill me." Haku replied calmly, "But I can't let you send Chihiro back." The two guards holding Chihiro disappeared and she fell to the ground. She tried desperately to get her sobs under control; she was terrified for Haku who had obviously lost his mind. The Lady slid from the altar and stood before him.

"You presume to tell us what to do dragon! How dare you! You are nothing compared to us and yet you act against us?"

"I can't let you take her away." He repeated simply. "Punish me in any way you see fit but I will do all in my power to stop you taking her."

"Why?" the Lord snapped, "Why risk your life by going against our will?"

Haku hesitated for a moment; the whole hall seemed to be waiting with baited breath for what he was about to say. Chihiro was still where she had been dropped, barely sitting upright. Her arms were holding her up, braced against the floor, just about keeping her from collapsing in a boneless heap. She managed to dash the tears from her eyes with a trembling hand. She saw that Haku was watching her now; his eyes were warm and tender. He smiled at her gently and then turned back to the furious deities.

"My mate asked you a question dragon." Hissed the Lady, her violet eyes were livid and her hair tresses seemed to be moving like a mass of angry black snakes. "ANSWER HIM!" She shrieked causing the roof beams to shower more dust on the halls occupants. Nearly everyone cowered before her anger except Haku, who just stood there.

"I do this..." He said loudly, "...Because I love her." The crowd gasped in unison, the two Gods seemed surprised. Haku turned back to look at Chihiro. She had given up all semblance of control. Tears leaked freely from her eyes and her whole body shook. It was all too much for her to take in; her overstretched brain rebelled against everything it was being asked to cope with. All she could do was try and stop herself blacking out. The effort almost made her vomit. Haku's eyes were fearful, gauging her reaction. He had not meant to tell her yet, if ever, but fate had forced his hand.

The shocked silence in the hall was shattered by a cry of.

"I KNEW IT! I BLOODY KNEW IT!" Chihiro smiled through her confusion at Linca. There would be no living with her now. Maybe being banished had an advantage.

"Love her?" said the Lord obviously sceptical. "How? You are one of the most powerful spirits in this world, perhaps the most powerful to live on the plain. She is a mortal, such a thing should not happen."

"But it has," Haku replied flatly. Chihiro was starting to feel numb. "I have loved her since she was a child, now she is a woman and I think I've waited long enough. I want her as mine and mine alone." Chihiro concentrated on her breathing; as long as she kept the air going in and out of her lungs she knew she would be okay.

The Lord was clearly at a loss to understand but the Lady smiled at Haku.

"Prophecies!" she sighed. "They always get in the way." Then she shook her head and frowned. "Whether you love her or not dragon, it does not change the fact we still need three speakers." Haku gave another quick glance at Chihiro, as if apologising for what was to come next.

"With respect my Lady, it does change things, it completely invalidates these proceedings." The hall gave another collective gasp at the dragon's audacity. One wood spirit fainted. The Lord folded his arms,

"Explain, quickly," he snapped. Chihiro recognised the small triumphant smile on Haku's face. 

" _Please don't make them any angrier. Please don't be so arrogant that you don't see that you are in deep trouble."_  

"I gave the human a Tac'tal, which she accepted. This makes her my property, but also according to the ancient laws it also makes her my disciple. She must serve me as her God. So it is I that should decide her fate, not you my Lord and Lady."

"You arrogant lizard!" roared Rin. "You tricked her into accepting that thing! She no more belongs to you than….oww!" Linca had hit Rin on the top of the head with the flat of her hand.

"Shut up!" she hissed, clapping her other hand around Rin's mouth.

"Is this true?" asked the Lady. "Did the mortal not know what she was being offered?" Haku did not appear at all uncomfortable about the subject.

"No, she did not," he replied, a hubbub broke out in the hall again but quietened when Haku continued. "It matters not, she is mine now and I want her to stay." The Lord's black eyes narrowed.

"You forget yourself, only we can bond her to this world. Even if she is yours, without a bonding she cannot survive here."

"I was aware of that." Said Haku coolly. "But as you seem to know, there is a prophecy attached to Chihiro; while I do not know what it states I'm willing to guess that she must be here to fulfil it." He turned his attention from the still angry Lord to the Lady. "Great Lady," He said respectfully, "I ask you to bond Chihiro, not for my sake or anyone else's but your own." A sly smile touched his lips. "Seeing as you have chosen to bear your child in a mortal way, maybe having a mortal around would be beneficial?" The Lady put her hands on her hips and held her head on one side.

"You are deeply convincing dragon, but then again your kind always are stubborn and cunning," she then grinned. "But you are also kind and generous. I abhor bowing and scraping and as you say it may be useful to have someone around who does not worship me." Her hand fell to her swollen belly. "And I wish my son to have human contact. Chihiro could teach him about humanity and compassion so he does not grow up to be an almighty fool." She looked at Chihiro. "You may stay child, your master is right, you will be an asset to this world."

The Lord's mouth hung open.

"Do I get a say in this at all?" he spluttered.

"Not really, I'm having a beneficent century; I must be for you to persuade me to get with child! Besides loves a funny thing, if we separate these two we could get our fingers burnt." The Lord's mouth snapped shut. The Lady waved her hand in Chihiro's general direction. She felt magic flow through her, a stinging and cold feeling filled her and then her perspective shifted. She looked around her, sounds were louder and the colours were more vibrant. She shuddered as her senses adjusted to their new sensitivity. It was like she had had one eye closed since she arrived in the spirit world and now just opened it, everything had more depth and detail.

The entire hall was watching her. She did not trust herself to move yet but she looked up at the supreme immortal in wonder. The Lady was at that moment chuckling to herself.

"Thank you." Chihiro breathed.

"Thank your white dragon for giving me a reason to bend the rules. What I've done is not strictly legal but I really could not care less. What's the point of having almost limitless power and not using it to break a few ancient rules?" She laughed at herself. "I look forward to getting to know you better child." She turned to those still standing at the altar steps. "As for your new family, I see that the formalities are not necessary. You are already closer than most who are blood-related, and I believe you will continue to love and support one another." Rin was hugging Linca tightly, both women were weeping uncontrollably. Chihiro could not even thank the Lady this time, her throat seemed to have swollen shut, making even breathing difficult. She had completely forgotten about declaring her sisters to the God's for their approval. How the Lady had known about their intentions she could not guess.

The Lord sighed a long-suffering sigh.

"We will discuss this later," he mumbled and vanished.

"I do hope so!" Replied the Lady mockingly. She then frowned and turned on Haku. "Fine master you are dragon, leaving the love of your life in a heap! She has just had the hardest day of her life and you are just standing there watching her. For my sake take her home!" Haku did not need to be told twice. He ran towards Chihiro but was stopped a few feet from her when the Lord reappeared between them.

"Have the mortal if you must dragon, but she is not for you." He gave Haku a stern look. "As it is said, a bird may love a fish but where will they live? Such things are not meant to endure; you will tire of her and leave her desolate." Haku looked angry for a moment and then said.

"You are wrong my Lord, and as Chihiro is a perfectly capable swimmer I really don't see the problem." The Lord shook his head and vanished once more. Haku took Chihiro's hands and helped her gently to her feet. He enfolded her in his arms and simply held her for a long moment. Chihiro sobbed into his chest, she was oblivious to everything around her; all she wanted to do was curl up in a dark corner and sleep for a week.

"Do you want me to take you home?" He asked, stroking in her hair soothingly. She nodded and the hall dissolved around them.


	38. I Need a Little Time

Chihiro opened her eyes to find herself standing in the sparkling stone room she had recovered in after her escape from the hospital. Meeka was standing a little apart from her, obviously disorientated, her ears were flat and she was blinking her golden eyes owlishly. Chihiro saw no reason to move from the haven of Haku's arms just yet, despite Meeka's presence. Besides she was not too sure her knees would hold her.

"When you said "home," I thought you meant the bathhouse." She mumbled into his chest, she was still trembling slightly.

"One day I hope you will look on this place as home." He said his voice practically purring deep in his chest. She stared up at him, but she knew from the wicked gleam in his emerald eyes that he was teasing her. She guessed it was just his way of coping with what he had just declared to the entire spirit world. A smile tugged at her lips, he smiled back at her tenderly and then reluctantly released her, giving her plenty of time to find her balance. However, he seemed to wish to maintain some contact with his hard-won prize and seized her hands possessively in his own, clasping them to his chest. Chihiro smiled again almost chuckling at him, she knew she must look absolutely terrible but at that moment she did not care.

"I brought you here because the bathhouse will be in total chaos. I was thinking you could spend a few days here with Meeka. I have to return unfortunately but I want you to have time to relax and to think. Take some time to take in everything that has happened." She nodded it made sense.

"Do Rin and Linca know where I am?" He sighed and tightened the grip on her hands as if such things were just a trifle to him.

"I'll be returning to the bathhouse now, I'll be flying of course, I would not want to cast another long-distance transportation spell without a rest." He treated her to a crooked smile, which threatened to melt her bones. "I'm good but I'm not that good. I'll tell Rin and Linca as soon as I get there, I may even contact them on the way if you like." She nodded.

"If you could please, they will be worried." He glanced over her head at the little wood spirit who was just standing watching them both, he frowned.

"Meeka could you draw a bath for Chihiro and prepare a meal?" He asked coolly. Meeka bowed hurriedly and scuttled away.

There was silence between them for a moment. Chihiro could not believe everything that had happened. She still felt a little numb.

"I… I don't know how to repay you for what you have done Haku." She whispered. He laughed, surprised and touched her cheek gently, his eyes were soft almost wistful.

"Just be happy, at least then I can get a good nights sleep." Chihiro frowned.

"Why did that happen?" she asked suddenly curious. "Why did you dream of me? Why did I dream of the bathhouse?" he shook his head setting the green highlights in his hair shimmering.

"I don't know, maybe it was because of Zeniba's gift to you, maybe it was…" He paused, struggling. "Maybe it was…something else entirely; I wish I had the answers for you Chihiro." She looked closely at his face; he seemed to have difficulty meeting her gaze. All of a sudden the strong, confident Haku she knew was gone and in his place was someone who was not too sure of himself. It surprised her and she found it charming. Despite his unease, however, she had to know, she had one last burning question to ask before he flew away.

"Did… Did you… Did you mean what you said?" She stammered, her hands shook a little in his. He glanced at his feet, his eyes unfocused.

"I did what I had to; it was all I could think of at the time." He mumbled. Chihiro sighed, and felt very maternal for a moment; she pulled a hand free from him and tilted his chin up to look at her. Green fire blazed in his eyes at her touch but also confusion, doubt and quite possibly fear. Her heart swelled with sympathy for him. But she was not going to let him off the hook quite yet.

"You're avoiding my question." She reproached gently. He swallowed and seemed to mentally gather himself together. His eyes turned thoughtful and the emotion in them faded. He moved forward and gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead. His lips lingered a little longer than they should have perhaps, but Chihiro was not about to complain.

"Lets just say I could not lie and I was as affected by that plain speaking spell as you were. I said things… that I had not intended to say." He stepped away from her. Chihiro resisted the urge to sigh regretfully, she was missing him already and he had barely moved. "I'll discuss this with you later, but now you are tired and overwrought. You will need the time to prepare yourself; the gossip machine will be in full swing by the time you return." Chihiro rolled her eyes and groaned. Haku folded his arms, and smiled an evil smile, revealing his sharp canine teeth. "Don't worry, if anyone bothers you, tell me and I'll render them mute." Chihiro gasped at him.

"What… you can't do that it's…. "He interrupted her with a bark of laughter.

"Stop teasing me!" She cried, "For all I know there's some law about punishing gossips that you could enforce." She moved to give him a playful shove but her hands only met air. He had vanished. Chihiro swore to herself under her breath, even after all that had happened he could not resist teasing her.

" _I will have to get used to his brand of humour I suppose, even if he makes me feel very gullible and stupid sometimes."_  She thought sourly. Meeka popped her head around the door.

"Your bath is ready." Chihiro nodded and with a sigh, she left the room.

Much to Chihiro's amusement Meeka tried to carry out her pre bathing ablutions.

"I'm not incapacitated in any way; I would prefer to wash myself." Chihiro said gently. The cat-like spirits ears flattened, she had looked forlorn and chastised.

"Why do you not trust me with such things Mistress? I know I tried to hurt you once but that was… different. I was different; I let my prejudices get the better of my judgement. I now know you are a nice person and I respect you. I believe you will be good for Master Haku." Chihiro sighed.

"We are not together Meeka." She said coolly.

"Oh," said the spirit woman, "but I thought…"

"You, and the rest of the plain no doubt," Chihiro grumbled stepping behind a paper screen to get washed in private.

"But he said…"

"He said the first thing that came into his head, like we all did in that temple. I'm not about to hold him to something he probably regrets saying." Chihiro emerged from behind the screen, scrubbed and ready to plunge into the huge tub that was sunk into the black stone floor. Meeka helped her into the bath and Chihiro sighed with contentment. She revelled in the hot bath. It was so nice to be pampered. Meeka was a marvel, she added vanilla oil to the water, then rubbed Chihiro's tense shoulders. She then anointed Chihiro's chestnut locks with special oil that made her tresses gleam. Eventually, Meeka broke the tranquil silence.

"Forgive me for saying this Mistress, but I don't think you are seeing things clearly. Maybe you are denying the truth for some reason, I can't think why but I'm sure Master Haku meant everything he said." Chihiro slipped further down into the water, not wanting to listen to Meeka's high-pitched, singsong voice. However, her mind continued to focus on the wood spirits words.

" _What if she is right? What will I do? No she is not, he just wanted to save me, and yet…?"_  Her mind drifted somewhat as the heat from the water soaked into her muscles. She found herself thinking about the incident on the ferry. It had not been much of a kiss but it had felt good, very good, it was right somehow. It was as if she was meant to kiss him.

" _I really do have some thinking to do,"_  she heaved another sigh.  _"This constant denial is childish, I'm twenty, not twelve. But I'm not going into that at the moment, I'm too tired."_ She heard Meeka breathe in sharply behind her, as if she was going to say something else on the subject.

"Forgive me Meeka, you know I hate to order you around but do you think we could change the subject?" The spiky fur on Meeka's feline face flattened down.

"But of course, I'm sorry Mistress; it's not my place to have an opinion on such things." Chihiro shook her head.

"Of course you are entitled to an opinion, you have a brain. I hate this! You are not my slave!" Meeka bowed her head.

"I'm afraid I am, you need to understand Mistress that I am proud to perform this penance." Chihiro lowed herself still further into the water, it now covered her to her chin.

"I will never understand this place" She mumbled.

"With respect Mistress, perhaps that is one of the reasons the Lady let you stay. You do not accept things just because they have always been. Conscience is a human trait, many spirits lack one."

"I'm too tired for a philosophical discussion right now," Chihiro mumbled and slipped completely under the scented water. When she re-emerged Meeka said.

"Your room is prepared, it is late, will you retire?" Chihiro nodded and got out of the water. Meeka wrapped a large fluffy towel around her and guided her to some house slippers, aiding Chihiro in putting them on. She then wrapped a towel around Chihiro's head and draped a bathrobe over the top of it all.

Chihiro chuckled.

"I'm not sick Meeka, what is all this?"

"Master Haku told me that humans can sicken just by being exposed to low temperatures. I have no intention of letting that happen to you while Master Haku is away. I like my legs just as they are; I have no intention of doing anything to get them broken." Chihiro laughed.

"As if he would!" she chuckled as she headed for her room.

"You did not know him when he first came back. He was very hot-tempered and angry. He made a lot of threats, people became frightened." Chihiro frowned.

"That sounds so unlike him." She muttered

"He is different now," Said Meeka. "Since you came he smiles and has developed a sense of humour about things." Chihiro really wanted to just go to sleep and forget the long day she had endured. She sat on her bed.

"Thank you Meeka." She said. "But I'm dead on my feet; I just want to rest now." Meeka bowed and left without another word.

Chihiro dumped her towels and robe on the floor and kicked her slippers off across the room. She slipped naked under the soft cotton covers and fine woollen blanket. She yawned and unconsciously grasped her pendant. Its warmth comforted her and helped to still her clamouring mind.

"Thank you," She whispered into the dark, somehow thinking he would hear. "I owe you everything and you've asked for nothing in return." She snuggled down in the bed and closed her eyes. "I'm never going to forget today." She sighed and drifted off to sleep. The tiny obsidian mirror glowed green for a moment, the light penetrating the fingers that clasped it. The light receded and the room returned to darkness.

* * *

Miles away, a white dragon flew over the moonlit plain. Haku heard Chihiro's voice speak in his mind. He nearly tumbled out of the sky in shock. Her words made him grin, which looked more like a snarl in his dragon form. He gave a happy roar, taking delight in scaring everything in two square miles. He raced onwards to the bathhouse with a light heart. Not even thinking of Yubaba could blacken his mood at that moment.


	39. To Catch a Human

Chihiro spent the next two days relaxing. She rose at a leisurely hour, had breakfast and then skulked around Haku's home. She resisted the urge to look in his bedroom, for a whole twenty-four hours. But after that, she succumbed to her curiosity. She had been in his room before, like his office it was unsettlingly tidy and organised. She found nothing out of the ordinary, clothes in the closet, soap in the soap dish, absolutely nothing to say that he spent half his time here. The only thing that did surprise her was the number of clothes he owned.

" _What did I expect? He dresses better than I do!"_  She grinned,  _"Something I can use when he is teasing me; he's ever so slightly vain."_ She was disappointed, however; she had hoped to find out more about him.

There was a library at the back of the house and she turned her attention to it for the rest of the day. Spirit literature was a little hard for her to comprehend but she decided to persevere, asking Meeka about what she did not understand. She realised that the task she had set herself was vast. It would take her a lifetime to understand the world she now lived in. She consoled herself with the fact that at least she was trying. Apart from roaming the house and reading, she did some serious thinking.

It was surprising how the hours slipped by when she was just sitting by a crystal window, watching the black underground lake and examining her thoughts. She began to see the wisdom in Haku bringing her here; she would have never had an opportunity to find this much peace in the bathhouse. She missed everyone of course, but she was glad to be on her own too. She had a lot to file away and find space for, especially everything that had happened to her over the last few days.

She tried to think of everything that had happened to her and examine how she felt about it. It was a bit draconian perhaps, but she wanted none of the stresses she had endured to cause her problems later on. She had a new life now and wanted to dump the baggage from the old one. She tackled her parents first. Her father thought she was mad and an embarrassment. Her mother also thought she was insane, but had accepted it. She loved them both and could understand their disbelief but the fact that they betrayed her hurt bitterly. Her mother had redeemed herself somewhat but her father had shown no remorse and now they would never have a chance to make up and that hurt too.

"That's something I'll always regret." She mumbled. She would miss them both. Next on her agenda was her new family. Granny had manipulated her but she believed the witch had no malicious intentions. She rubbed the band on her wrist. She had no living grandparents and Granny was like the perfect grandparent. Wise, with an evil sense of humour, a large kitchen and a belief that everyone needed feeding up. Chihiro smiled, she loved her Granny.

"Definitely an advantage to living here," she mumbled.

Now she turned her attention to her sisters. Linca was a harlot; there was no nice way of putting it. She seemed determined to enjoy her immortality as much as possible, by sleeping with as many people as possible. However, Chihiro did not judge her for that, Linca was funny, warm-hearted and fiercely loyal. She was almost like a younger sister, despite the fact she was probably centuries older than Chihiro.

Rin was sharp, demanding and could be argumentative. However, she was honest and wise in her own way. She was also very protective; just like an older sister. All of them had secrets that they were not going to share with her. Though to be fair Rin had forgotten her past and so technically was not hiding anything from her.

Next, she forced herself to try and view Yubaba objectively. She had not actually caused her harm. Chihiro knew she would never forget what the witch had done. She still had to work for her; by the terms of her bonding, she needed employment here. Working for the witch, if she ever reappeared, was going to be a nightmare. Chihiro was determined to be civil to her; she was also going to grow eyes in the back of her head. She would never be tricked by her again. She would also try and dig up as much dirt on the witch as possible; it was the only way she could gain some protection against her. Chihiro felt that constantly relying on Haku for her safety was a mistake; he could not be with her all the time.

"Haku," she mumbled, staring into the lake that was as much a part of him as her own blood was a part of her. His words had haunted her mind constantly. She managed to ignore them until now, but she decided that the time for denial was past.

"… _She can be stubborn and insolent at times but she has my complete trust and respect…."_

"…  _I can't let you take her away… punish me in any way you see fit, but I will do all in my power to stop you taking her…"_

Chihiro remembered being sprawled in a boneless heap; barely able to support herself. She had felt his eyes on her and she had looked up. His eyes had been burning with emotion that he was desperate for her to understand. He was obviously watching her for a reaction when he had said.

" _I do this because… I love her_."

She remembered the numbing shock at his words. Remembering them now made her tingle all over, it also terrified her.

" _Why?"_  she thought,  _"Why am I so afraid?_ " but she knew the answer

" _Because you are scared that you may feel the same way."_ Haku was handsome, charming and had a slightly annoying sense of humour. Sure, he could be cold and arrogant sometimes, but she suspected that came with being immortal and powerful.

" _It would not be so bad if he just saw me as a friend. Then I could join the ranks of his admirers and get some self-respect. But no, he has to pursue me, in his slightly clumsy, adorable, confusing, infuriating way."_ She shifted in the window. She felt tears of frustration prick her eyes.

" _I'm scared I may love him back, I think I may have loved him since I was ten. That's crazy but looking back now, if he had told me to drown myself in the big tub, I would have done it with a smile._ " The tears spilled over her cheeks and she hugged herself.

" _This is too big, I can't cope with this. I'm a coward, I admit it, all I ever wanted to do was come back here and live quietly."_  She shook herself.

" _I'm lying to myself again. That's not strictly true. The thing I missed most about this place was him."_  Things seemed to click into place just then. Years of denial in the name of self-preservation were wiped away, making her feel vulnerable and raw. She allowed herself to cry a little and then dried her tears on her sleeve.

"No more lies." She whispered, "I'm never going to lie to myself again, no matter how much it hurts." She looked out at the lake again. There were what looked like black seals, playing in the water. She smiled at them. "I'll just take things one day at a time and see what happens." It was a bit of a evasion, but at least she was not lying to herself.

The next day the Yu-bird dropped off two train tickets and a letter. Chihiro recognised Haku's writing as she opened the envelope.

_Chihiro_

_I have been feeling some VERY strange things from you through the Tac'Tal. (Another one of its useful traits, I can sense your emotions, not all of them, just the strong ones.) I guess you took my advice and did some thinking. We are ready for you to come back. In fact, Linca was furious I hid you away for a few days, no matter how pure my motives. Come back when you are ready, but I would make it sooner rather than later. Your sisters may kill me if you stay away too long. I also have a few things to say to you. I think I owe you an explanation at least._

She read through the letter twice, wanting more information, trying to read hidden meaning in his words. She even turned the letter over and examined the back. It was not enough; she wanted him to say what he was thinking. What was the emotion she had seen in those hypnotizing emerald eyes? She sighed.

"Meeka," she called over her shoulder. "Pack our things please, we are going back." Meeka bowed.

"Would you like me to pack some food also?" The spirit asked. Chihiro smiled at her.

"Actually I prefer to travel unconscious, if you don't mind putting me into a trance." Meeka bowed again.

"Of course mistress," Chihiro looked at the letter again.

"Okay, we will get this sorted out once and for all." She muttered to herself. She crumpled up the letter and threw it in a bin.

* * *

Feeling extremely groggy from the hibernation trance Meeka had put her in; Chihiro really could have done without the mini welcoming committee that was waiting for her on the bridge. Linca hugged her so fiercely Chihiro thought she would pop.

"Dear sister, how dare you hide yourself away from us!" She cried. "How am I to provide reliable gossip to the staff in this place if my main source of it just disappears? Now spill your guts. I demand to know all about this illicit affair you have conducted under my nose!"

"Linca, there is really nothing to tell, you are as wise as I am."

"Rubbish!" Snapped Linca, "You've been hiding things from me, I just know it!" Rin pulled Linca off her.

"Leave her be white eyes, can't you see she's exhausted." Rin took Chihiro's hands.

"We are glad you are here to stay." She sighed. Chihiro hugged her.

"Me too." She mumbled.

After running the gauntlet of well-wishers on the bridge; Rin took Chihiro under her wing and guided her through the bathhouse. She received a lot of sidelong glances and people whispered in groups as she passed.

"What have people been saying about me Rin?" She asked in a small voice. Rin gave her an understanding look.

"The most popular theory is that you've been lovers since you arrived. A mortal could not possibly resist the charms of a dragon." Chihiro grimaced. "The next popular one is that he is captivated by your charmingly quaint mortal ways. So he forced you into taking a Tac'Tal and slavery. But he will tire of you in ten years or so." That hurt her, even though she tried to dismiss it. "And a small minority think he truly is smitten and wish you all the best." Chihiro blushed.

"I hate gossip." She mumbled.

"Get used to it!" snorted Rin. "You'll be the talk of the place for months," Chihiro grumbled to herself and swore.

Soon they were at Haku's office door. Chihiro made no move to open it.

"Nervous?" asked Rin with a smile.

"Yes," Replied Chihiro, wetting her lips.

"Why?" asked the spirit woman, more gently.

"If a handsome, powerful spirit had just declared to the whole world that he had designs on you, wouldn't you be a tad nervous of seeing him alone?" Rin nodded but then grinned.

"He can hear you through that door you know?" she said. Chihiro could not help but smile too.

"Well he better open the door before I tell you about the more interesting items of clothing I found when I had a look around his room." The door slammed open and Haku grabbed Chihiro by the arm dragging her into his office, the door slammed shut behind them, rattling on its hinges.

"Play nice children," Rin muttered, and she walked back to Chihiro's room to wait.

* * *

Haku grabbed Chihiro around the middle pulling her close against him.

"Now Chihiro, you should know better than to rummage through someone's closet. Especially when that person has been alive a long time. I am, I admit, as much a slave to fashion as anyone else." His eyes glittered with mirth. She realised she had really missed his face.

"Well, some of it was quite shocking." She grinned up at him, marvelling at his masculine and positively sinful mouth. She kept her voice light with an effort. Being this close to him threatened to shatter her reason. "The pornographically skin tight breeches were a bit of a surprise. They looked like they should be poured on! The samurai armour however, that would look quite attractive on you I think. You have the shoulders to carry it off." He gave a grunt as if mollified by her backhanded compliment. Then he lowered his head so his face was the merest inch from hers. She could feel his breath on her face. She blinked rapidly trying not to get lost in his mesmerizing eyes.

"Is this any way to treat someone who has kept a pot of coffee hot for you for the past four hours?" he asked softly, almost whispering. Chihiro swallowed, the heat from his body was really starting to unnerve her, it was as if the clothes that separated them were far too thin, she was intensely aware of every part of him that touched her.

"Coffee?" She said weakly, was it her, or was the room far too warm? He nodded once, his nose almost brushing her own. Chihiro's mouth was dry; coffee really did seem like just what she needed. Either that or half a bottle of vodka. But first she had to remove herself from this annoyingly persistent dragon. "You are teasing me again Haku, you're keeping me away from my caffeine. Now let go of me or I will be forced to overpower you to get it." He smiled but the amusement did not touch his eyes, he clearly was not thinking about letting her go. She shifted in his arms impatiently and he reluctantly released her. He gestured to his desk. On it was a silver coffee pot. There was also a silver cream jug and a small silver bowl of brown sugar cubes with a cute set of tiny silver tongs. Beside these was a small fine china cup and saucer.

"Are you not having any?" Chihiro asked.

"I've never tried it before but it smells… odd." He confessed as he ensured she was seated and then sat opposite her. She frowned and shuffled her seat around to his side of the desk. He raised an eyebrow at this but she simply smiled and gestured to the coffee.

"Get yourself a cup and I'll introduce you to one of the most popular beverages in the human world." He nodded and another identical cup shimmered into existence. Chihiro poured the coffee and made them both sweet and creamy.

"Here," she passed him a cup. His fingers touched hers for a moment as he received it. She felt as if she had been shocked by static. She watched eagerly as he carefully sampled his coffee.

"It's good." He said after some consideration. "But I think that I could not drink much of it." Chihiro smiled at him over the rim of her own cup.

"That's what you think until you become addicted and can't start the day without one." He gave her a worried look.

"This is addictive?" he asked.

"Only mildly." She mumbled into her cup and chuckled as he put his down.

There was a comfortable silence for a few moments as Chihiro finished her coffee.

"Yubaba has gone." He said suddenly. Chihiro nearly choked on the dregs of her cup.

"Gone? Where?" He shook his head.

"I don't know, she never returned to the bathhouse after the bonding. Bou is with Zeniba and I'm looking after the Yu-bird and those ridiculous heads of hers. Though I may persuade Zeniba to take them too." He sighed. "I don't think for one minute that this is a permanent leave of absence. I also think Bou will never forgive her for what she has done; he would not even mention her when he left. He wanted to start calling Zeniba Mama but she would not allow that. I think she was correct." Chihiro grimaced and then said.

"Well, at least I won't have her interrupting while I try and make sense of those account books." Haku blinked.

"You still intend to work for her?" Chihiro snorted.

"Try and stop me, I'm going to make her wish she had never met me if/when she comes back." Haku laughed easily.

There was silence again but this time it was more strained. Chihiro put down her cup and sighed. It was now or never she supposed.

"This won't do at all; we are acting like a couple of children by avoiding the subject like this."

"What subject would that be?" he asked in a mock-innocent voice. She pulled a face at him and poured some more coffee for herself. She practically downed her cup in one swallow. He looked at her with amusement; he was not about to help her out. He wanted to hear exactly what she had to say. The only thing he would do was provoke her. Lady knows she owed him a few favours of late; he had plenty of good will to abuse. As if guessing his thoughts Chihiro said.

"You are not going to make this easy for me are you?" She mumbled. He smiled and sat back with his arms folded across his chest.

"Please continue Chihiro, I would not dream of interrupting you." He purred. She sighed, took a deep breath and said.

"You've been pursuing me since I came back." She declared.

"Pursuing?" He gracefully arched his eyebrows.

"You know…" She struggled under his enquiring gaze. "Going after me, stalking me, only I was too self-absorbed to see it." He gave a lazy smile.

"Any reason why I should not?" he asked coolly, Chihiro realised that he had probably been thinking about what he was going to say to her for the past three days. The conversation was probably going exactly in the direction he wanted.

" _Not if I can help it,"_  she thought.  _"He's not going to flummox me with his overconfidence, not this time."_  She quickly changed the direction of the conversation with…

"Contrary to what half the bathhouse believes, you're really not my type." Chihiro was gratified to see his aloof expression falter for a moment. Then his eyes took on a dangerous glitter.

"Please…" He said crisply, shifting to a more upright sitting position. "Enlighten me as too my many faults."

"Certainly," grinned Chihiro. She glanced at the ceiling as if ordering her thoughts. She looked back at him. "You're arrogant, conceited, high handed, evil-tempered and you have a huge superiority complex coupled with a gargantuan ego." She leaned towards him and lowered her voice as if imparting to him some secret information. "I also think you take great delight in frightening people." Haku looked at her for a moment and then to her surprise grinned at her wolfishly, his sharp teeth peeping at her.

"Is that all?" he asked, obviously amused. Chihiro sat back, puzzled.

"Well, it's the best I could think of after twenty-four hours in hibernation and only two cups of coffee." She frowned at him. "Isn't my list grievous enough?" He shrugged looking truly unconcerned.

"There was nothing that I was not already aware of. If you can destroy the land around you for twenty miles in each direction, without too much effort on your part, that does tend to make you arrogant and conceited. However, my self-confidence is not indestructible and I don't consider myself invincible." He gave her a pointed look. "Some people can still humble me." He said quietly. Chihiro felt a flush colouring her cheeks. "As for scaring people, Yes, I do enjoy it," he grinned. "I like the smell of fear; it tickles my nostrils and makes my blood burn. It appeals to the carnivore in me and it means people don't ask questions when I ask them to do something." He narrowed his eyes and looked at her intently. "It's not the only thing that can make me feel like that, however." He trailed a finger absently down her jawline, wondering at the softness of her skin. Chihiro shuddered and dropped her gaze now blushing furiously. "If my interests were diverted elsewhere, maybe I would not be such a tyrant." His fingers were now stroking the nape of her neck, she pulled away from him, but not quickly; allowing his fingers to brush her pale throat for a moment longer.

" _This is NOT how this is supposed to be going!_ " she thought, again the infuriating lizard had managed to effortlessly muddle her thoughts. In desperation, she tried another gambit.

"How old are you?" That derailed him, he had reached for her again but his hand froze and then dropped to his lap.

"What?" He asked a little testily.

"How old are you?" She repeated sweetly. "It's a simple question." He sat back and considered her for a moment, rubbing his chin with one hand. At length, he answered her.

"My age can have little relevance to you as I do not age unless I wish too."

"Never the less," she pressed, "I would like to know." He gave her a sharp look as if to say.  _"Don't say I didn't warn you!_ "

"I'm 17852 years old, as a human would count them." Chihiro gulped it was much more than she had ever conceived. Her surprise must have shown because he began to explain himself quickly. "What you must understand Chihiro is that I was born when my river began to flow. My mother was an ancient river spirit. She had little concept of emotion, she just knew that she had to provide a guardian for a new river that would soon flow. I was it." Chihiro felt sympathetic towards him, even though she knew she shouldn't.

" _If he had remained just a bonded river spirit, he would have been content with that distance from his mother."_  She thought.  _"It's normal, but now it hurts him and I can't help feeling sorry for him."_

"I'm really quite young as bonded spirits go," He mumbled. "Time means little to a river spirit. We are only aware of changing seasons and periods of flood and drought. That is one of the reasons I like this form. I get to live and not exist."

Chihiro was disturbed. More than anything else, his great age signified his inhumanity. He was ancient. Still, he did not look it and she foresaw the potential for a great deal of teasing to be had on this subject. She decided to start now.

"That's a bit of an age gap, a 17852 year old chasing after a 20 year old." She grinned. "It's a bit perverted actually, I mean you're old enough to be my great, great, great, great, great, great, great…" She was interrupted by a hand clapping over her mouth.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you to respect your elders?" He said nonchalantly. She pulled his hand away.

"I just hate it when older men go after much younger women."

He smiled. "You could always do the chasing instead, is that more palatable to you?" She giggled at him and shook her head.

"I already told you, you're not my type."

"Why?" He asked, a little vexed now. "I've accounted for my many faults, even suggested a remedy." He made her blush again by treating her to another ravenous look.

Chihiro could sense he was turning the conversation again but decided to give in; he was exhausting her. Her head was starting to spin; he seemed to have thought of almost everything.

"Of course you have professed to me before that you were disappointed in the quality of my kisses. I believe you said that you had had better kisses off dogs? Why you should be kissing animals Chihiro is beyond me, but I think it is unfair of you to judge my worthiness on the few awkward moments that we've had."

Chihiro's mouth hung open, she was incensed by his attitude but he continued. "You were like a frightened rabbit the first time, and I did not have time to make an impression. The second time I had to magically keep you in place. It was like kissing a corpse. Then you kissed me on the ferry. Now that was very pleasant. But as you were in a very emotional state at the time, I did not take advantage of the situation or perform as well as I should have. However, I hope to improve on the next occasion. I'm new to all this you know, but I've had a bit of practice now so next time, feel free to judge me."

Chihiro stared at him, unable to speak; he was deliberately provoking her by treating such a touchy subject with a cavalier attitude. She knew that, but it did not make her any less outraged. After all she had been through, he had the gall to throw her own words back in her face and rate her as if she was performing just for his amusement. She stood, knocking her cup over and spilling the dregs.

"Temper, temper." He murmured.

"What do you expect when you do your best to infuriate me?" She clenched her hands into fists. "There won't be a next time, I told you before, and you're not going to kiss me again." He stood also his calm bravado irritating her all the more.

"Are you sure? Because you are beautiful when you are angry and I really think you need a kiss right now. Or you could kiss me, that would be nice too."

"Dream on!" She snapped.

"I do, frequently, and not just about kisses." She gave a half-strangled curse and turned to storm from his office. He caught her by the arm, her momentum reversed she could not help spinning on her heal and stumbling into him. His arms wrapped around her pinning her arms to her sides, she struggled none the less, but she knew it was in vain.

"Let go of me!" she hissed.

"I don't think I will," he murmured into her hair.

"Why are you doing this?" She cried.

"Why do you keep fighting me and making me resort to these measures?" He countered.

"Maybe because I don't want you anywhere near me!" she snapped

"Well, that is where I get confused. You say one thing but…" He lowered his head and tilted his face to her neck, his breath caressed her throat, his silky hair tickled her face. He inhaled deeply and sighed. "Your scent, however, says something very different."

His voice had roughened and when he lifted his head she saw his green eyes glitter with want. She opened her mouth to give a sharp retort but never got the chance. He caught her lips with his, taking full advantage of her already open mouth. She tried to pull away but he dug his fingers into her back, daring her to try again. She whimpered, confused and a little frightened. His kiss became gentle and coaxing, his hot velvet tongue explored her mouth more tenderly, as if trying to persuade her she was being foolish to resist him. It worked, the soft movement of his lips against hers and his wicked tongue seemed to sap her will.

She relaxed against him; he moved his arms to support her shoulders and released her arms. Her fingers buried themselves into the fabric of his tunic. She had to hold on to him or she thought she might fall over. He gave a low rumbling growl of appreciation and deepened his kiss again; she tentatively began to respond to his insistent lips. He gathered her closer, she could feel his body heat almost burning her through his clothes, his fingers tangled in her hair and he stroked her neck. Chihiro thought she was about to faint when he suddenly stopped; he stepped away from her so quickly that she stumbled forward and had to catch herself against his desk.

He was breathing hard and his face was flushed, his lips unmistakably kiss bruised. His eyes were hard and hungry. She knew he had released her earlier than he would have liked too, no doubt it was yet another tactic of his.

"Now was that so bad?" he gasped. She struggled to think straight. Her body was practically screaming at her. Never had she thought something so simple as a kiss could steal her wits as well as her breath. Her pulse raced and throbbed, she wanted more, much more and she bet that he knew it too.

"You should really stop doing that," she mumbled, suddenly becoming very interested in the floor.

"Why? I thought you liked it? It certainly felt like you did." She gave a shuddering sigh and forced herself to look at him.

"Will you please stop that." She implored tiredly. "I don't enjoy you toying with me."

Sensing she was going to get upset if he continued Haku decided to be honest with her. He stepped closer and laid a hand on her right cheek. She seemed to appreciate the gesture and leaned into him slightly.

"I told you before, I'm not playing games. I may have chased you a bit, but you would have it no other way being the difficult sort." He smiled at her affectionately. "I want to be more than just a friend to you, much more, if you'll let me."

Chihiro felt like crying with frustration. He was driving her crazy, infuriating one moment, charming the next. She felt like surrendering to this touch but she also wanted to slap his face…hard. Carefully his arms snaked around her again. She did not resist as he pulled her to him. He buried his face in her hair and just held her for a moment, breathing in her sweet scent, at length he said. "Do you think you could drop your defences for a week or so and at least give me a chance? Just a chance, that's all I'm asking." She looked up at his striking face and ethereal emerald eyes, he was beautiful, and he was everything she had ever wanted. Yet still, she hesitated.

"But I am mortal." She whispered.

"I don't care!" He replied fiercely and then smiled. "Besides if things work out as I hope, I can continue to age myself in parallel with you. I think I'll look quite attractive with grey hair." She chuckled at that image of him; it did not seem to fit somehow. "Besides, he continued, I could start a trend; everyone who has control over their appearance may want to look older."

"The Lord warned you not to." She mumbled into his chest.

"I would defy a hundred God's if you would only agree." He said lightly tickling her ribs making her squirm and laugh. "No more silly excuses." He tapped her nose with his finger. "Are you going to let me kiss you again or are you going to slap me for my audacity?" Chihiro gave up, it was hopeless, her heart had decided, and who was she to argue?

"How can I refuse my master?" She said coyly. She stood on her toes and kissed him once, quickly and then twisted from his grip and backed away from him.

"Come back here" he growled, "I'm not finished with you yet!" She laughed.

"Yes you are, my sisters make demands on my time as well as you, I have to leave now."

"Fine" he snapped. "Get out of here before I make you stay." She folded her arms.

"You wouldn't dare!" She declared. He made a lunge for her and she squeaked and dashed from the room, slamming the door behind her.

Haku smiled to himself and ran a hand through his hair.

"Patience brings its own rewards, I'll wait but I don't have to like it." He muttered at the door. He sat at his desk and scowled at the coffee stained paperwork. "She'll make up for that later, I'll personally see to it." He smiled again; he could not seem to keep a grin from his face. He was excited he had to admit; he could hardly believe his luck. The woman he had practically drooled over for the past few weeks had virtually admitted she felt the same way he did. He would take thing slowly and try his best not to frighten her off, but he was sure that she was almost his and his alone. He loved her, how could she not be his?

"Her and her sisters," he grumbled.


	40. Home is Where the Heart is (Pt 2)

Linca was actually waiting for Chihiro in the lift. After being hugged to pieces Chihiro was dragged into her room where Rin was waiting.

"We demand to know everything! On pain of many hours of tickling!" Cried Linca. Chihiro looked up at the hauntingly beautiful white eyed spirit, Linca was flushed blue and seemed very agitated; Rin was frowning, her generous lips were pressed together, her soft brown eyes had an almost comical mix of irritation and worry hidden in their depths.

"Both of you are pathetic," Chihiro almost sneered. "There is no use trying to intimidate me. I've just had a demonstration of that from his majesty upstairs. He's an expert, compared to him, your idle threats are laughable. Besides you're not going to do anything to me, not with a dragon on my side." Chihiro grinned; Rin's frown deepened and Linca's eyes seemed to get improbably large. The two spirits looked at each other.

"Do… Do you mean what I think you mean?" Stammered Linca. Chihiro sighed, it would be all over the bathhouse by nightfall, but she did not care anymore. Besides Haku would never suffer to keep such a thing secret. She was sure he would practically parade her around the bathhouse if she let him.

"He has asked me for a chance, he was very persuasive so I eventually agreed."

Linca gasped and bounced on her toes, she clapped her hands and squealed.

"AT LAST! I finally managed to get you a lover!"

"She said she was going to give him a chance not jump on him." Snapped Rin, if anything the spirit woman looked more worried. She brushed a strand of unruly brown hair from her small, lovely face. The careless grace of the gesture struck Chihiro. Rin must have been someone important at one point; she was tall, statuesque and lovely in a severe way. Chihiro pictured her in fine clothes in a richly decorated room. The image seemed to fit. Her bathhouse uniform seemed jarringly out of place on her. Chihiro blinked and picked up the thread of the conversation again. It was almost bordering on an argument.

"Oh come on!" cried Linca, "Can you really see green and handsome not wanting her in his bed? I give it two weeks, our sister is gorgeous, and he simply does not have the will to resist her charms."

"If you are right, which I seriously doubt, but if you are… perhaps it would be prudent to speak to him."

"HELLO!" Shouted Chihiro waving her hands. "The human is still here!" She glared at the pair of them, annoyed and a little hurt. "Rin, leave Haku alone. He would not appreciate you talking to him in that way and I certainly would not. I'm a big girl and he will do nothing improper I assure you. Linca, give the " _let's get Chihiro laid_ " campaign a rest. Your attitude to this is sweet and I know you just want me to be happy; well your mission is already accomplished. I need no help in any other department of my life; especially not my love life." Rin grumbled and Linca pouted. Chihiro, suddenly just wanted some peace, she was beginning to miss the serenity of Haku's underground home. She knew she was just tired but that did not prevent her snapping at her sisters. "Now I suggest you two go and do whatever it is you're supposed to be doing."

Rin looked hurt, but Linca recognised the symptoms of emotional burnout.

"I like that!" She chuckled sarcastically. "And after we raided her chocolate supply for her." Linca tossed Chihiro a large bar and handed one to Rin who immediately perked up.

"I've told you before about stealing my chocolate," growled Chihiro.

"We were anticipating your need, especially since we decided to give you a lesson in spirit world sex education." Chihiro laughed, the niggling tiredness seemed to recede a little. She unwrapped her chocolate.

"If that's the case I think I'm going to need some of my pudding as well." Linca dragged pillows and a blanket off the bed and the three sisters sprawled and chatted together.

* * *

"So let me get this straight." Chihiro said after listening to her sisters for some time. "Female bonded spirits only get pregnant when they wish and don't actually need to have sex to get pregnant." The spirits nodded. "Female non-bonded spirits like you two are only fertile every other spring and do have to have sex to get pregnant." Again the nod of affirmative. "But you don't get pregnant unless you want to; unless someone casts a fertility spell on you."

"A particularly nasty thing to do, but it does happen." Mumbled Linca.

"It's a bit like rape," said Rin quietly. "And it is treated as such. The justice masters of the shadow people can exact terrible penalties from perpetrators."

"So," said Chihiro, trying to move on from the unpleasant subject that was clearly affecting Rin. "Like human men, bonded and non-bonded male spirits are fertile all the time. But again they have control over it, apart from every other spring." Chihiro frowned, "It seems that the entire spirit world goes into a huge rutting session every other spring."

"It's important." Said Rin. "Most spirits are so self-absorbed and unaware that they would never breed at all unless instinctively driven to it. It can be difficult for we non-bonded spirits, especially if you're single."

"It's really no different from spending a holiday alone," said Linca. "It's annoying and you feel very lonely but it's gone in 3 months." She grinned, "Besides you can guarantee that every other male single spirit is feeling the same way. You can pick up so many lonely males, and they are all so grateful, it's almost sickening." Rin rolled her eyes.

"It's supposed to be a holy time Linca. When you contemplate the meaning of you're existence."

"Rubbish!" Snorted Linca, "it's all about sex and anyone who tells you otherwise is repressed. It should be fun." Chihiro smiled, and decided to rescue Rin.

"So, if you let me continue." The two spirits looked back to her. "When you get pregnant, or rather when it's the right time of year and you decide you wish to get pregnant…" Chihiro screwed up her face in concentration. "You carry the essence of the child within you, but not physically like humans do. You sense when the child is ready and then give birth by a transportation spell. When brought fully into existence, the child takes form, with a little help from the parents/ parent."

"By Jove, I think she's got it!" Said Linca in her best English accent. Chihiro pulled a face.

"And you said my reproductive system is weird! Yours is just overcomplicated and confusing. It's a wonder that you breed at all."

"We don't need many children, we are immortal and so do not have to constantly replace ourselves as humans do." Mumbled Rin. "Some of us do die, due to human intervention, killing each other or simply because we no longer wish to live." Chihiro nodded, trying to take it all in.

"I think I'm still going to have to be careful, I'm human and cannot conveniently switch my womb on and off."

"Anyone with a decent amount of power can solve that. Zeniba can render you infertile until you are ready to spawn. A bit like being on the pill." Mused Linca.

"What's the pill?" Asked Rin. Linca laughed and Chihiro groaned.

"Well…" Said Chihiro. "It's all to do with hormones."

"Hormones? You've not mentioned them before." Rin looked truly puzzled.

"I'm getting more chocolate." Announced Linca, "this could take a while."

* * *

Two weeks passed. Yubaba did not return but no one seemed to care. The bathhouse ran smoothly. Chihiro's days consisted of rising at a leisurely hour and helping Rin, Linca and Kamaji out when they needed it. She also started on the accounts. It was like trying to decode another language. Yubaba obviously had no concept of basic maths.

She also spent time with Haku.

She found it difficult to relax with him around. Her thoughts became confused and she could not think straight. He had only kissed her properly a few times but she was always awkward and unsure. He was the perfect gentleman however and never overstepped the mark. When she froze he would stroke her hair and murmur soothingly to her. He seemed to have infinite patience with her and slowly she was learning to trust herself as well as him. He had started stealing kisses when she did not expect it, she had to admit she liked being surprised.

It had taken time to get around to it but she had decided to write a letter to her parents. She sat at her small desk in her room, with the sun pouring through the balcony windows, warming her shoulders.

" _Where to begin?"_  she thought.

" _Dear Mum and Dad,_

_Very happy in the spirit world, wish you were here._

_Love Chihiro_

_BTW, Tell that man I'm sorry I stabbed him. I'm also seeing a very powerful river spirit who makes me forget how to speak and breathe."_

Chihiro chuckled to herself, sighed and picked up a pen.

**Dear Mum and Dad.**

**You probably won't believe me but I'm in the spirit world. I'm sorry if I have worried you or caused you trouble. I'm happy and I'm healthy. Remember you can come and visit me if you wish.**

**I have someone I'd like you to meet.**

**I'll write to you again in a month.**

**Love Chihiro.**

"Short but sweet" breathed a deep masculine voice in her ear, making her jump. "A bit like you really." She turned her head to try and tell him off for sneaking up on her, yet again. But he stilled the comment by touching his lips to where her neck met her shoulder.

"I know you hate being sneaked up on, but I can't help it, it's just so easy." He mumbled into her neck. His mouth started to work it's way up her throat, making her shudder. He paused to glance at her letter, he smiled.

"So you want your parents to meet me? I did not know we were that serious." She elbowed him playfully in the stomach. One thing had not changed, he still tormented her.

She folded the letter and put it in an envelope and addressed it. A difficult thing to do with a dragon nibbling at her neck. She shoved the letter at him.

"Stop that!" she protested. "Now keep your promise and send this." He sighed dramatically and stood. He held the envelope on the palm of his hand. He squinted at it. The colour seemed to drain from the envelope, turning it transparent, then it vanished. Haku gasped and swayed. Horrified Chihiro was at his side in a heartbeat.

"Haku!" She bleated. "What's wrong?" She helped him to a chair.

"Oh, nothing." He said tiredly as he sunk into the chair. "Just drained myself a bit too much. I am always underestimating how much power it takes to affect events in a world where magic as we know it does not exist." He closed his eyes; she put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"You should be more careful! I've had enough of you exhausting yourself on my behalf. I'm writing no more letters." He opened one green eye and looked at her.

"Nonsense." He mumbled. "You need contact with your family and if you don't write to them I will." He held out his arms. "Now stop glaring at me and come here."

"I'm not finished telling you off yet." She grumbled.

"Believe me, I'm suitably chastised. Now come here. I promise I'll never do anything nice for you again." She smiled and slipped onto his lap and rested her head on his shoulder. His arms folded around her and he sighed.

"You're difficult, you know that?"

"Yes," she replied. He gave a low chuckle; she could feel it rumbling in his chest, it was a pleasant sound.

"It's a good thing that your stubbornness is one of the things I love about you." He said jokingly. He kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too." The words were out of her mouth before she realised what she was saying. The response had been automatic, coming from the heart and bypassing her brain entirely.

He became very still, she could feel the muscles tensing in his chest, legs and arms. He turned his head to look down at her; he looked truly stunned.

"What did you say?" he hissed. Chihiro pressed her face into his neck, red with embarrassment.

"You heard me." She mumbled. He sat up and cupped her face in his hands, making her look at him.

"Say it again," he said. "Please, I need to hear you say it when you're looking at me." His face was so eager and sincere she felt her heartache, how could she deny him anything?

"I love you Haku, I have since I was a child." He just looked at her, his wide jade eyes were fixed on her, as if seeing into her very heart. Then he kissed her, hard, unrelenting, crushing her to him, his hands tangling in her hair. He had never kissed her like this before. He so thoroughly ravished Chihiro's senses that all thought left her mind completely. She threw an arm around his neck, her other hand touched his jaw feeling the movements of the muscles in his face as he continued to kiss her. He never gentled his kiss, in fact, he kissed her all the harder as she responded to him. Chihiro thought her lips must surely be bleeding after his teeth raked over them for the third time. It was as if he wanted to possess her entirely, mind, body and soul. When he finally let her go she touched her figure to her lips and found her mouth undamaged. She frowned, her sanity was gradually returning to her and something was wrong. She lifted her hand to touch her cheek, it was wet with tears, but not of her own making.

"Haku?" She breathed looking at him in wonder, "what's the matter?" The dragon blinked sending more saltwater tumbling down his cheeks. He did not have the words to tell her how he felt at that moment so he hugged her tightly instead.

"Nothing, nothing is wrong, everything is perfect." He whispered. He stroked her hair, and nuzzled the side of her face kissing her jawline. "You're home with me and nothing will ever separate us." Chihiro sat up and touched his face, tenderly wiping away his tears with her fingertips.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." She whispered. He just smiled at her.

"Do you really think I would let anyone come between us? The Old Ones could not even do that."

"I know that." She mumbled. "But you are not all-powerful Haku. You can't control everything." He grinned; the mischievous sparkle was back in his eyes.

"You have no idea how powerful I am little one, best not worry your pretty little head about such things."

"Arrogant lizard," Chihiro muttered but she kissed him, tasting the salt still on his lips and snuggled down his lap again and rested her head under his chin. Haku sighed and she felt him relax beneath her.

"Stubborn human." He mumbled. "It is a good thing I love you, or I would spank you for your insolence. " She smiled against his chest.

"You'd have to catch me first." Then she giggled. "Besides I might like it." He chuckled with her.

"I'll never understand humans." He sighed.

"I hope not," Chihiro replied feeling sleepy now, the rhythm of Haku's breathing and the heartbeat was soothing. That and his bodies warmth and the warmth of the late summer sun, was making her deliciously drowsy. "Driving you to distraction is one of the highlights of my new life here."

"Well I would hate to suspend any pleasure of yours," he grumbled. His arms tightened around her. "Now will you stay with me while I take a quick nap?"

"You could not move me if you wanted to, you make a good pillow." She yawned. He sighed and started breathing more deeply. Chihiro smiled to herself. She had no idea what her future held, but she was sure that she would no longer have to face it alone.

The human and the dragon fell asleep together, bathed by the rays of the late summer sun pouring through the open windows.


End file.
